A Hero's Promise
by Lucky-9-Rose
Summary: He didn't believe it possible to feel happiness anymore. But that all changed. All because of his promise. The promise that completely changed his life and the fate of the planet. "I'll keep my promise, no matter what. I swear it." ShadAmy
1. Return of the Ultimate Lifeform

This is my first ever ShadAmy novel. After a month of writing, I got it done as best as I could. Nothing left to do but hope for the best, right? I'm working on another novel which should hopefully be better than this one. I thought I might as well upload this anyway for the ShadAmy readers. :)

This is an adaption of _Shadow the Hedgehog's storyline, "Miracle of Love." _I personally thought the second half of this turned out better than the first but I'll let you be the decider of that.

I hope you enjoy this. This story is already finished so updates should be quick.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter One : Return of the Ultimate Lifeform

Arms folded over the railing of the balcony, a lone hedgehog was left alone to contemplate his thoughts under the dark, night sky. Both doubt and peace mixed together into one complicated mood he couldn't quite describe.

Happiness... an emotion Shadow the Hedgehog rarely felt. Fifty years later since the incident aboard the ARK, he didn't believe it possible to feel that emotion anymore.

But that all changed. All because of his promise. The promise that completely changed his life and the fate of the planet.

When he was awakened fifty years later, he thought his purpose was to avenge Maria and make humanity suffer. But that wasn't the real promise. His true purpose was to make people happy and to give them a future. That was his real promise to his friend Maria and Amy Rose.

Shadow never expected to like Amy Rose the way he did. Without any recollection of the cheerful ally, a trusting bond grew between them nonetheless. His friendship with Amy had grown into a loyal attraction. The happy and thoughtful pink hedgehog who loved the world to be at peace was who Shadow grew to admire.

Love was a stronger emotion than hate. Hate only caused new revenge and despair. Love created happiness and new dreams. Love created life and cherished it with unbelievable strength and determination. Love had been missing from his heart since the death of Maria. But he promised he would put the past behind him and move on.

He had a future ahead of him. One with promise.

And hope.

He smiled as a very familiar rose coloured hedgehog was hurrying over to his side on the balcony. Remembering what lie ahead of him, Shadow turned away from the horizon, his eyes meeting Amy's shining emerald ones. Her hand reached for his and he held it tightly, Amy resting against his shoulder.

This was what Shadow's heart desired.

Peace and ultimately love.

And love was more powerful than hate...

He couldn't ask for anything more as the two stood closely beside each other under the moonlight. Shadow would never forget the time it all began. The adventure that brought the two together.

"I'll keep my promise, no matter what. I swear it."

_"No way that's getting through!"_

_Both Sonic and Shadow teamed up together to defeat the Finalhazard, both in their Super forms. The Space Colony ARK still remained on its predetermined course towards the planet. Both of them were determined to stop the upcoming devastation at all costs._

_"Shadow, I beg of you..."_

_Shadow's eyes widened in surprise at the familiar voice. "Maria..."_

_"Give them a chance to be happy."_

_"Now, Shadow!" Sonic shouted to his newfound ally._

_He nodded in agreement, their determined gazes meeting for a brief second. Both completely ready, they headed towards ARK at an incredible velocity._

_"Chaos Control!" A bright light enveloped the Space Colony and it was brought back into its original position, no longer on its course to destroy the planet. Was the final battle truly over? Glancing back at the now-still ARK, Sonic was certain the planet had been saved._

_Completely relieved, Sonic turned to face Shadow, only to find him slowly descend much to his horror. "No! Shadow!"_

_Those were the last words Shadow could hear before he fell down to the atmosphere. Sonic's gloved hand tried to reach for his but Shadow pulled his hand away. The shocked look on Sonic's face was indescribable. He would have tried again to save his ally but after seeing the expression on Shadow's face, he froze in shock. He knew that was what his former rival wanted but it didn't make him feel any better._

_He didn't want to let Shadow go._

_But he had no other choice._

_It felt surreal as Shadow passed through the planet's atmosphere... Was being this close to death this peaceful? It felt unlike anything he experienced before. He could see his life flashing before his eyes, many including memories of Maria._

_"Maria, this is what you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you..."_

_He finally fulfilled his promise; what Maria really wanted for humanity. There were no words to describe how he felt. After fifty years, he could reunite with his dear friend again. This time, there would be no regrets. No more pain or sorrow._

_Shadow lost track of how long he had been falling. He could already feel his super form fade away, his exhausted body continuing to descend downward. He could have been falling for seconds, minutes or even hours. Shadow would never know. All that mattered to him was seeing Maria's face again. The light became so bright, he had to shield his eyes to avoid being rendered blind. After a moment, his eyes adjusted to the light, his heart beating fast seeing a hand reach for his. Could this be his definition of peace? His heaven?_

_Was this what Shadow truly wanted?_

_He couldn't see why not. He kept his promise. What else was left for him to do in the world? There was no reason for him to stay._

_"Shadow..."_

_"M-Maria...?" He could hear her voice but he couldn't see her face. Where was she? He wanted to see his friend more than anything. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He hoped not. He wanted his peace to be real, not a delusion. "Where are you, Maria?"_

_"Shadow," her voice repeated again. This time, he could see that it was her hand that was reaching for his. He felt a warmth from inside his chest. It felt wonderful. Was this known as happiness? He couldn't get enough of it, lacking the emotion nearly his whole life. His hand extended towards Maria's, hoping this would be the end to his fifty years of agony._

_In mere seconds, he could see her hand fading away. Startled, he reached out further, only to see he was slowly disappearing too. He couldn't see or hear Maria anywhere. His newfound happiness had been for nothing. He blinked back a few tears, his eyes closing._

_"Maria..."_

_He helped save the planet. Why would his heaven reject him? It didn't make sense to him. None of it._

_There was nothing he could do as he felt his eyes close, the last of his consciousness fading away._

"Shadow?"

His eyes opened suddenly, surprised to see a silhouette of a hedgehog by his side, a hand on his shoulder. He had come outside on a hill, standing under a tree to spend time to reflect on his thoughts. How would this girl have found him? Not quite sure who it was, Shadow pulled away abruptly. In the darkness, he didn't know who this stranger was. Ally or enemy, he had to be on his guard. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Shadow, don't you remember? I'm Amy Rose," the pink hedgehog said, confused he was referring to her as a complete stranger. She couldn't help but find his behaviour very unusual.

He finally could make out her features and shook his head after a moment. "I don't. I never met you." Shadow glared at her in mistrust, suspicious of how she knew about him when he knew nothing about her. "I don't know who you are. How do you know me?"

Amy was taken aback by his response. "You saved the planet with Sonic. Don't you remember? ARK was going to crash into the planet. You were keeping your promise to make people happy."

"Promise?" His head began to ache, trying to remember. He shook his head again, this time in confusion. "I don't know anything of this promise. What are you talking about?"

Amy looked down at the ground. "You don't remember at all, do you?"

He kept quiet, his eyes full of hurt and confusion. Inside, Amy felt crushed. She couldn't believe it. Could it be possible that Shadow lost his memories and forgot everything, even her? She turned her focus from the ebony hedgehog to the city of Westopolis among the horizon, hoping the view would distract her mind from the shocking truth.

"Only my name," Shadow replied. He was still undecided whether to trust Amy. There was a chance she was telling the truth and she did know him before in the past. He took another glimpse at her emerald eyes. She seemed genuinely concerned about him but he couldn't understand why she was so nice to him. How did he meet this girl? He could hardly remember anything before he was reawakened by Rouge. Only a day passed since Metal Overlord had been defeated. He ended up confused after the battle, unsure of what to do. If there was a purpose for him to continue on, what was it?

Amy turned back to Shadow, surprised to have received a response. "Only your name?" Maybe he didn't forget everything after all. Hopeful, she continued to speak. "Do you remember anything else?"

Did he? All he could remember was his name, Shadow. He hated feeling so confused. He wanted answers. Answers about his past and who he was.

"No, I don't."

The smile on Amy's face vanished. Taking notice of her change in mood, he opened his mouth to question her concern when she turned around and headed down the hill. He sighed. Whatever he had to say wasn't important anyway.

But...who was this Amy Rose?


	2. Fifty Year Return of the Black Comet

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Two : Fifty Year Return of the Black Comet

Shadow kept telling himself it wasn't important. That pink hedgehog couldn't have mattered that much to him. What about Amy struck out and made her very special?

If she wasn't important, then why was he running down the hill trying to find her?

It was because of her sad and heartbroken expression. Shadow only saw it a brief second before Amy left as though in a hurry. He didn't understand what could have made her so upset. It seemed very unlikely that she'd be upset that he lost his memory, if that was the honest truth. Her worry felt genuine and honest in itself. For some strange reason, he found himself a little concerned about her but not to same degree she felt about him.

Maybe Amy knew who he really was and what happened before he lost his memories. If she had the answers, he wanted to find out.

It seemed like a very convincing response. At least, that's what Shadow wanted to believe. Could he have liked Amy's company back at the hill, when the two of them were standing together under that tree?

_That can't be true. I don't know who she is..._

_...But did I really like being around her?_

Said hedgehog appeared in his view, her back towards him as she headed towards her house. Shadow immediately came to a halt, not wanting her to see him following her. The last thing he wanted was to be called a stalker. A cheerful smile was on Amy's face the whole time. She was so...happy. Shadow vaguely felt the uplifting emotion himself. He was confused and alone most of the time.

As Amy closed the door, she spotted a figure of a hedgehog. Curious, she opened the door and poked her head out. Carefully hidden from her view, he continued to watch her quietly as she looked in every direction for him. He felt foolish hiding from a girl twelve years of age but he had no other choice at the moment. He didn't quite feel ready to talk to her yet.

Amy blinked, confused. "Was someone following me? Maybe not..." She caught a brief at the figure who was halfway behind the tree. She fully opened the door, taking a cautious step outside. In mere seconds, the figure disappeared completely from sight.

"I was sure someone was following me but who?" Either way, the figure was gone.

The door closed again, this time staying shut. Deciding it was safe to come out, he stepped out from behind the tree, eying the rose through the open window. He knew he wanted answers but they were too far from his grasp. Only time could bring them closer. Taking one last look at the small and cozy house, he turned away and ran off in the opposite direction faster than the speed of sound.

Amy looked out the window immediately after she heard strong gusts of wind from outside. She could see a faint trace of a blur before it completely disappeared. Sighing, she closed the window and curtains, turning on the small light beside the couch. Once the dim light was turned on, she was met eye to eye with her wall plastered with Sonic the Hedgehog pictures. Looking into those emerald eyes felt a little awkward for some strange and unknown reason.

Lately, the azure hedgehog hadn't been paying attention to her as much. Any interaction between the two was friendly when she wasn't grasping him in a tight death hug. When Amy really thought about it, she didn't see her friends as much in the last couple of days. Possibly for the reason they lead their own lives. Knuckles was still on Angel Island guarding the Master Emerald, Rouge was working with GUN as an agent and Sonic and Tails lived together. Cream lived with her mother Vanilla but thankfully, the two lived nearby to her, allowing their visits to be on a frequent and regular basis.

It couldn't be just Sonic who was too busy. Even Eggman seemed a little too quiet. She took a seat on the couch, wrapping one of the blankets around her shoulders. The cooler temperature itself wasn't the main cause of her discomfort. She could feel tension in the air, as if something disastrous was about to happen.

I must be imagining things again...

Trying to believe her imagination was getting the best of her, Amy made herself comfortable on the couch, keeping as warm as possible. Shortly after she got into the right position, she found sleep coming to her easily.

She could only hope her worries were for nothing.

* * *

Sleep had been useless. No matter how many times Shadow tried to get some rest, the same nightmare would haunt him. The same process repeated itself for the last seven days.

He would find himself alone in a vast city each time, the skies a deep shade of red above. Among the ominous skies were several demonic and dark aliens, each falling down to the city, creating massive havoc. Screams could be heard in every direction. Remembering the dream made him shudder. It wasn't something he wanted to think about.

Deciding rest was ultimately out of the question, Shadow made his way back to the same hill. He stood under the tree, arms folded across his chest, gazing out at the city not too far away. The sight of Westopolis made him uneasy. It was unusually quiet, especially since it was daylight.

It felt strangely familiar to be so close to the city. Maybe he was taking the dream too seriously. He didn't remember ever going into the city.

He didn't quite remember who he was. Only that his name was Shadow.

A newspaper was carried by the wind, hanging onto the hedgehog's leg for a moment before blowing off into the far distance.

"FIRE – IN – THE – SKY – FESTIVAL." Celebration! 50 Year return of Black Comet.

Yet Shadow paid no attention to it, being too deep in thought. "Amy Rose... why does that girl haunt me? She remembers me but I never met her before. Being around her felt so familiar but why?

His eyes widened as a memory quickly flashed before his eyes. The memory of a young blonde girl aboard the Space Colony ARK. Shadow heard a distinct gunshot, which continued to echo in his mind.

_"Maria!"_

It was clearly his voice calling out the girl's name. Did Shadow know her before he lost his memory?

"Who is this Maria? What does she have to do with Amy Rose?"

Sensing a disturbance in the sky, he looked up only to see a red, ominous hue. He frowned. It all felt so familiar. As soon as the dreadful hue completely obscured the sky, innumerable amounts of black creatures fell from the staggering height. Each one landed in the city of Westopolis, creating havoc as soon as they hit the ground below.

Shadow could only watch the destruction taking place with uncaring eyes. "Look how pathetic they are. I don't have time for these humans." He couldn't find himself able to like mankind. He didn't trust them. Whatever happened to them was none of his concern.

"Shadow..."Confused, he turned around to see an eye hover before him. A projection of a black alien appeared, except this one appeared to have authority over the others. The black alien leader wore a robe with shoulder pads accompanied with golden chains with spiked ornaments. A necklace was around his neck, a gem in its center. Three red eyes met Shadow's befuddled gaze."As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Find the seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me as promised."

"Huh? Who are you and how do you know I'm Shadow? What are you talking about?" Somehow, his identity was known to this creature, Shadow having no clue of about the mysterious alien.

The projectile disappeared without giving a response, smoke taking its place. After a moment, the smoke subsided, leaving behind a perplexed Shadow, who was standing alone once again. "Just what was that all about? If he says he knows the truth about who I am, then like or not, I have to believe him." He frowned at the unsettling idea of believing that strange alien. Shadow knew either way he had to get the Chaos Emeralds to find out the secrets to his past.

Having come to a decision, Shadow headed towards the city, sensing the presence of the black aliens. All doubt was pushed aside from his mind, his priority to find the Chaos Emeralds. Dwelling on a dream would only waste his valuable time in recovering his identity.

The whole city wreaked with disaster. Several cars were smashed beyond repair, broken glass was scattered on the ground and roads were torn from their once firm foundation. Yet Shadow felt no sympathy for the frightened people who tried to avoid the crushing attacks of their newfound enemies. Their screams and cries of pain meant nothing to him.

"Make the humans suffer." The same eye Shadow had seen earlier was following him from a close distance behind. "These humans have no meaning. Destroy them all."

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" His ruby red eyes narrowed at the floating eye.

"I am Black Doom. From now on, my eye will watch over you. You will obey my orders. Now...make the humans suffer."

Having no other choice but to listen to the alien, Shadow headed towards a fallen soldier who fell to the death grip of an alien. He stared at the firearm for a brief moment before holding it in his hand, fitting comfortably in his grasp. It didn't quite feel right holding the gun but he ignored the pain he felt inside. After all, he felt no remorse for the humans. No sooner did he walk a couple steps from the body did a blue blur speed passed him.

"It's that blue hedgehog again..." He wasn't that surprised to see Sonic. The hero was everywhere, saving the day usually. Other times, he was just an annoyance to Shadow. On either occasion, seeing Sonic wasn't an experience Shadow enjoyed at all.

Ignoring the blue blur, Shadow's grip on the gun tightened as he aimed it at a passing soldier. Before he could pull down the trigger, a shout stopped him, it's owner belonging to said nuisance.

"Shadow! What do you think you're doing?"

"Step aside blue hedgehog. I don't have time to deal with you," Shadow warned Sonic, hand still holding onto the trigger, ready to fire at any cost.

"Hold it Shadow! This isn't like you!" Sonic told his dark counterpart, who brusquely pushed past him with an angry frown clouding his usual neutral demeanor.

"Then you don't know me at all." With that being said, Shadow raised the gun and pulled the trigger.


	3. Enter Team Sonic

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Three : Enter Team Sonic

"Attention emergency broadcast to all mobile units...headquarters, to all mobile units. All points bulletin to be on the lookout for Shadow, the black hedgehog wanted in connection with the terrorist attacks. Last seen in the vicinity of downtown Westopolis. Orders are capture him dead or alive!"

Shadow lowered his gun, seeing two soldiers standing before him, oblivious he was there. He glared at the two as he took a few threatening steps forward. "Outta my way! Coming through!"

"S-Stop! Don't move or we'll shoot!" One of the two men raised a gun. Shadow sighed, annoyed and leapt up into the air, kicking him as hard as he could directly on the head. His foot soon met the other soldier's head. Both collapsed on the floor in defeat. Shadow didn't feel guilty at all for his actions. Why should he? The humans were but parasites on the planet.

"Stupid humans," he muttered under his breath in distaste.

Black Doom's eye watched the violence with approval. "Very impressive Shadow. Our work here is done. There's no time to waste here. Go and access the United Federation's mainframe. Understood?"

He gave a nod. "Got it." The idea of assisting this strange alien didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. Not if they both didn't like mankind.

* * *

There was no doubt something was truly wrong. Amy shivered as she looked up at the red skies. She risked a peek through the curtains again, afraid to go outside to see what was going on.

In the background, the television was blaring out another overplayed commercial, the news reporters taking a few minute break. Amy hoped they would have some news of the situation. On the couch, Cream had made herself comfortable with her chao friend, Cheese. The rabbit had come over to visit a few minutes before the deadly red hue coloured the sky. Amy let her friend stay with her, making sure to let Vanilla know her daughter was safe. Needless to say, Cream's mother was very worried.

The cheesy commercial stopped playing as the news returned on the screen. Amy was too preoccupied looking at the ominous sky to notice. Her friend's voice brought her back to reality.

"Amy? Isn't that Mr. Shadow?" Cream asked, pointing to the television screen.

Amy turned around to see said Ultimate Lifeform on the screen with demonic black aliens, destroying the city of Westopolis. "B-But it can't be! Shadow would never do that! He saved the world before."

But the news confirmed her fears. There was no way to deny it. "...be on the lookout for Shadow, the black hedgehog wanted in connection with the terrorist attacks. Last seen in the vicinity of downtown Westopolis."

"This is wrong! Shadow can't be the bad guy!" Amy protested, turning away from the screen. As soon as the news reporters displayed the images and film of Shadow causing the destruction, Amy turned off the television, unable to take it any longer.

Shadow helped save the planet for Maria, didn't he? It didn't make sense why he would kill innocent people for no good reason. It wasn't like Shadow to break the promise he made fifty years ago.

He didn't just make that promise to Maria.

He promised Amy too.

_"Ooh, I hate it when they leave me behind!" Amy growled as she continued down the hallway in the Space Colony ARK. Sonic and her friends left her alone again. She hated it. She wanted to her best to help them out. She passed by an open door. A door lead to any empty room to gaze out at the stars and the beautiful threatened planet soon to be destroyed by the Space Colony. Then she realized she wasn't alone. "It's Shadow," she whispered, recognizing the black and red hedgehog at once. "I've really gotta stop whining. Everyone's trying their best to help out and so must I!"_

_Pleased with her decision, she hurried into the room. Shadow was looking out the windshield, at the planet. He didn't turn around even though Amy was only a short distance away._

_"Shadow, we need you! Please, help us!" Desperation clouded her normally cheerful tone._

_"It's all going according to plan. There is no reason for me to help them. Besides, there's no way to save anyone." His voice was unusually softer than usual as he spoke._

_"There has to be!" Amy retorted, holding her hands together, hoping he would listen to her. "I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish, like the professor said. But they're basically good if they try their best and never give up on their wishes. They always have a reason to be happy. That's why you should help them out! Saving them is a good thing!" Seeing the hedgehog show no reaction to her response, she took another step forward, her hands held even tighter together. "Shadow, I beg you! Please, do it for them. Give them a chance!"_

_Much to her surprise, a startled expression broke through his composure. Amy was left speechless as the normally serious Ultimate Lifeform had tears in his eyes. She couldn't believe it._

_"That's what I promised her and I must keep that promise. That's what she wished for." With those words being said, a tear fell from his eye. Amy was completely startled by his change in mood. She placed a hand on his shoulder, their eyes meeting at last._

_"Shadow...?" Much to her surprise, he held the hand that had been on his shoulder in a firm grasp. Shadow's hand felt so warm in hers. He gently let go before leaning in closer to her, Amy doing the same. Before anything else could happen, she could hear a high pitched voice calling out to her._

"Amy!"

"Huh?" Confused, the pink hedgehog looked in every direction, trying to find the source of the voice. Cream stared at her friend with a confused look on her face.

"Is something wrong Amy?" she asked in concern.

"No, I'm fine," Amy replied, mind still on the memory back on the ARK. Where was Shadow now and why was he siding with the Black Aliens? She took a seat beside her still confused friend. The room was dead silent, the television still off. She jumped from her seat when she heard a few knocks the door. Much to Amy's surprise, her guests were Sonic and his best friend, Tails.

"Sonic!" she said in delight, hurrying up to her blue hero.

"Hey Ames, long time no-" Sonic was soon cut off by another crushing death hug by his self proclaimed girlfriend. "Amy, can't breathe!"

"Sorry," Amy replied, releasing Sonic from her grasp. "I was worried about you. You could have been hurt!"

"Ames, don't worry about me. I'm fine," Sonic tried to assure the near emotional pink hedgehog. "I can't say the same for Westopolis. Did you see those black creatures too?"

"I did," Amy whispered. "On the news. Sonic, please don't tell me Shadow is siding with those aliens!"

"I didn't want to believe that Ames, but...I think it might be true. Shadow was there. I saw him," came Sonic's reluctant response which was quite different from his character. He almost paid the price for getting in Shadow's way too but he didn't want to upset Amy more than she already was.

Amy felt her eyes flooding over. She buried her face in her hands. "It can't be true! Why would Shadow do such a horrible thing? He helped you save the world before!"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, he did. I'd like to ask him his reasons myself but he's disappeared since. I haven't been able to find that guy. Those black creatures left not too long ago but I don't think the city's in good shape anymore."

It all seemed so unreal to Amy. Just a day ago, the city was prospering and well. All in the course of an hour, everything went downhill.

"Don't cry Ames. We'll find Shadow and ask him why he did all this." Feeling better about the hero's words, Amy calmed down somewhat, inviting Sonic and Tails into the house.

"Hello Mr. Sonic," Cream said from the couch. Seeing Tails with Sonic, she gave him a very friendly wave, Tails doing the same.

"Hey Cream," Sonic said, giving his trademark smile before reverting back to his unusual serious mood. "You saw the black aliens too?"

"On the news," Cream replied, a sad expression on her face. "They were scary! Mr. Shadow was there! He was frightening!" Amy lowered her head at the mention of the ebony hedgehog's name.

"I really don't know what came over him. But we'll find out! No need to worry." Cream smiled at Sonic's hopeful words.

"Thank you Mr. Sonic!" she said, seeming content once again.

Sonic turned to Tails. "Do you think you could keep Cream company for a little while? I need to talk to Amy about something." Tails gave a nod. Amy could have sworn Cream's smile got even bigger as she left the room with her hero.

"What is it Sonic?" she asked. "Does this have to do with Shadow?"

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind me asking but I have a question," began Sonic. "Did you see Shadow before those black creatures came here?"

Amy thought for a moment, suddenly remembering the moment they shared together the previous week. "I did. I found him by accident on my way to Cream's house. I tried talking to him but he didn't know who I was. He only remembered his name. Isn't that strange?"

"Come to think of it, yeah it is," Sonic agreed. "I wonder what could have happened to him. If Shadow really doesn't remember anything, that could be a reason why he was acting so strange earlier."

"What can we do Sonic? He won't trust us," Amy said, sighing and looking down at the ground.

Sonic shrugged. "We'll never know until the time comes Ames. We'll figure that out when we get there."

Amy gave a nod, knowing it was best to trust Sonic. He always pulled through hard times and that wasn't about to stop anytime soon. Quite suddenly, Sonic was looking out the window as a familiar figure caught his eye. One that was too familiar. He turned back to Amy, a serious look on his face.

"Ames, we may get answers sooner than we thought." Confused by his reply, Amy peeked through the window and saw the exact same figure heading towards the house.

"I-It's Shadow?"


	4. An Interrogation Session

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Four : An Interrogation Session

"Looks like it," Sonic agreed, heading towards the door. "And he's coming over here. Saves us the trouble of looking for that guy later."

Amy wasn't sure whether to be relieved or afraid. She couldn't see any emotion on Shadow's face. She didn't have a clue what he was thinking. How exactly did Shadow know where she lived? As soon she heard a knock on the door, Sonic was already opening it.

"Hey Shadow, long time no see." Yet Sonic sounded more serious than usual.

"Hmph." The Ultimate Lifeform wasn't pleased to see Sonic at all.

Sonic ignored the unwelcome attitude from his look alike. "I was going to look for you Shadow, because I want answers."

Shadow frowned. "I didn't come here to explain myself to you." He walked past Sonic and stopped a short distance away from Amy. Their eyes met for a long moment. Amy gulped under his intimidating stare.

"Y-You want to talk to me?" she asked, trying to hide her growing fear.

"Follow me," was all the ebony hedgehog in question said to the nervous Amy. She quietly followed him into the next room, worried of what he was going to say and do. If he really hurt all those innocent people...

"_No, he wouldn't hurt me," _Amy tried telling herself as Shadow closed the door behind him, leaving the two together in silence. Unsure of what to do, Amy tried to focus on something else other than the mysterious hedgehog in front of her, waiting for him to speak first. It only made sense since he asked to speak to her alone.

"Rose," Shadow spoke up. Surprised to hear him speak, Amy turned to meet his gaze, quicker than she thought herself capable. He seemed hesitant by her reaction. "Rose, was that your name?"

"Amy Rose," she reminded him, folding her arms.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked, in a much more soft spoken voice than earlier.

Amy shook her head. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

A look of deep thought replaced his frown. "I think you already know. Answers. I need answers."

"_You _need answers?" Amy blurted out, completely shocked. "Why would you need answers? I think you have some explaining to do Shadow!"

"Why would I need to explain what happened earlier? I have my reasons. That's all. And it doesn't concern you." Shadow frowned again, somewhat annoyed by Amy's response.

"It does!" she retorted. "You hurt many innocent people! How could you do that Shadow? You helped Sonic save the world to keep your promise to Maria. Why did you do that?" Her angry tone wavered at the end, almost choked up with tears. "I thought you were our friend! A-And you ask _me _for answers!"

Shadow was somewhat startled by Amy's outburst. "Black Doom knew about my past. I had no other choice but to believe him. I was created to bring order and justice to the humans."

"B-But that's all lies!" Amy protested. "And whoever this Black Doom guy is, he's trying to trick you! He _wants _you to do all these horrible things. It isn't right. Weren't you supposed to make people happy?"

"Make people...happy?"

"_Shadow, I beg of you. Please do it for me, for a better future. For all those people who live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought into this world..."_ An image of an innocent blonde girl flashed through his mind, her eyes a beautiful shade of blue. His eyes closed, finding himself back at the Space Colony ARK. He was standing next to the girl, who was smiling up at him. She soon disappeared, Amy Rose taking her place. A desperate expression was on her face as she spoke.

"_Shadow, we need you! Please, help us!" Amy's plea echoed through his mind._

Shadow was left completely speechless, "Was this my purpose? And was that girl Maria? Nothing makes sense anymore!" Who was he supposed to believe?

"Um...Shadow? Are you all right?" Startled, he opened his now wide eyes, realizing he had been talking out loud.

"Rose, do you know why I came here?" Still confused by Shadow's strange behaviour, Amy nodded. "I need answers. You said you knew me. Who was I before I lost my memory?"

"I thought you trusted that creep Black Doom," Amy said in reminder.

"You wanted me to explain why I did. He told me knew about my past. He told me I promised to bring him the Chaos Emeralds. After the destruction in Westopolis, he ordered me to destroy the United Federation's Mainframe. I almost did." Amy's mouth hung open in shock hearing that.

"Why didn't you listen to him?"

By now, Shadow seemed a little uncertain himself. "Rose, you've been on my mind for days. Before I could destroy the Mainframe, you were shouting at me to stop. I didn't understand. I only doubted Black Doom and came here. I didn't want to believe him earlier. I had no other choice. Which brings me to why I came here, to find you. I don't know why you crossed my mind but you did."

"You're a hero Shadow," Amy said, before remembering the Westopolis incident. "You saved the world with Sonic. You promised to make people happy. You promised Maria didn't you?"

"I don't remember but if what you said was true, does that mean Black Doom lied to me?" Anger clouded his voice but it wasn't directed at Amy. Rather, he was furious at the alien leader.

"Who is Black Doom anyway? He sounds like a creep! I don't like him," Amy said, crossing her arms. "And you did those horrible things because he lied to you? That's awful!"

"Then who do I believe, Rose? I don't have another choice. My loyalty has already been decided."

"But that's not true. You're our friend here Shadow. You can help your friends!" Amy's pleading emerald eyes stared into his ruby ones. "Please Shadow!"

He frowned, deep in thought. Staying with Sonic and the others wasn't his ideal plan but he couldn't let down Amy. It couldn't hurt him to stay for a little while, right?

"I can't decide who to believe that easily, Rose. I'll need a night to think it over. I can't make any promises."

"Thank you Shadow!" Amy said in gratitude, reaching over to give Shadow a quick hug, almost as tight as the hugs she gave Sonic. To say the least, Shadow was astonished by the gesture. How could she stand to go near him after all the chaos and destruction he created? How were his actions 'forgivable' in Amy's perspective?

"_I'll never understand her..."

* * *

_

Shadow was lying on his guest bed, completely alone in the room that had been given to him. Sonic, Tails and Cream didn't object to the idea of him staying with them. In fact, it was quite the contrary. They were _relieved _somewhat. His actions caused so much pain for the people in Westopolis and they were willing to overlook that and let him stay with the group? Shadow didn't know whether to call them fools or friends.

Ever since Amy had hugged him, they barely saw each other since. That hug felt rather warm and wonderful but so familiar. It was nice of Amy to think of him, even if he didn't particularly want her attention. He wasn't keen on seeing the group's faces all the time; especially Sonic's constant trademark grin. Something about his attitude was a big turnoff to Shadow.

He sighed, mostly out of irritation. If the group was willing to invite him to stay with them, the least he could do was be grateful and put up with them for as long as he needed to. After all, he just needed a night to think his situation over. He planned to have a word with Black Doom if he saw that alien again even if it meant in secret.

And it would give him another reason to leave the group of heroes downstairs. It was Sonic's idea for the group to stay over for a sleepover or to party, in the blue hedgehog's case. No matter how much the others tried to persuade the Ultimate Lifeform into joining them, he outright refused and spent his time upstairs in the guest bedroom since.

When Sonic meant the group was staying at Amy's house for the night, he meant it. Even with the four of them downstairs, the noise was loud enough to carry to the upper floor and disturb Shadow's much needed peace. It didn't matter where he went. No matter where in the house he decided to go, he could hear very _feminine _songs bellowing from downstairs. Amy's choice of music obviously.

Despite her disagreeable choice of music, there was something about her that Shadow found likable. He didn't know why.

And he hated being confused.

The hug she gave him downstairs a few hours ago couldn't leave his mind for a moment since he separated himself from the soon to be chaotic 'party.' The warmth he felt was very familiar, like he experienced that gesture before. Unfortunately, all his memories had been lost.

Amy told him he was a hero. Believing her opinion didn't seem like the right thing to do. The images of his destructive actions would never leave him or the fact he was a monster.

_You're a hero Shadow. You saved the world with Sonic._

He cursed the fact his memory was no longer intact. If he truly saved the planet from being destroyed, he wanted to remember it. He needed to know what took place in his past; why he was left without memories. All he knew for certain was that the rose hedgehog unknowingly reminded him of some vague and lost memories but he didn't quite understand them. Only that the two had definitely met.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips, his ruby red eyes wider as he soon realized what made the hug so special, so familiar...

_He found himself standing on Prison Island, staring off into the distance as the evil genius behind him was giving both him and his companion, a bat, orders. He recognized his ally as Rouge. He couldn't quite recall the doctor's name._

_Suddenly from behind, a pair of arms wrapped around his body. Completely taken aback, he froze in the same spot, not sure what to think of the hug. Wait...a hug? He hadn't had a hug since...Shadow didn't want to think about that._

"_Oh Sonic, I thought I'd never see you again. I'm so glad you made it!" Amy said in delight._

_Even though she apparently mistook him for her blue hero, he liked the hug. It took Amy another moment to realize the dark hedgehog wasn't Sonic. She let go of him, surprised._

"_You're not Sonic! Who are you?" Little did Amy know, a small smile was replacing Shadow's frown. Much to his irritation, the doctor cut in, interrupting the moment. He felt so compelled to talk to that girl but he had orders. His mind was left to wonder if he should ever see her again. The chances were next to impossible._

_He couldn't help but miss the warmth._

Three knocks on the door snapped him out of the memory. Sighing in irritation, he spoke in the calmest voice he could force. "Who is it?"

The door opened, Amy entering the room, a cheerful smile on her face. "Shadow? You're still up here?"

"I didn't want to go to the party." He put it as simple as he could. After all, he was being completely honest. He _didn't _want to be involved with the party in any way.

"But it's fun! I don't know why you'd stay up here by yourself."

"I...had something to think over." That seemed like the best reason for Shadow to avoid everyone else.

"Did you still want to come?" Amy asked, a small trace of hope in her voice. Had anyone else asked Shadow to go the party, he would have refused them immediately. But Amy was a special exception. He had yet to remember who she was but he knew that would happen in time when he discovered the secrets to his past. Sooner or later, he would know the truth...

So attending one party couldn't do much harm, couldn't it?

"Fine, if you insist." Amy smiled and opened the door all the way.

"Thank you Shadow," she whispered into his ear before the two went downstairs together.


	5. Search for the Missing Companions

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Five : Search for the Missing Companions

Shadow the Hedgehog opened his eyes as the first light of dawn appeared over the horizon.

At most, he only needed to sleep a couple hours, leaving him time to ponder the events of last night. That dreaded party... Sonic's carefree attitude didn't make it any better. Amy was the only reason Shadow went downstairs in the first place. He never enjoyed it but letting Amy down would have been much worse since she was already sad earlier. Never again would he let Black Doom tell him what to do. He hadn't seen that alien since he abandoned his mission to destroy the United Federation's Mainframe. No doubt Black Doom would be furious.

Shadow didn't care. He wouldn't cause so much destruction again, even though he found mankind annoying. Amy's broken expression continued to linger in his mind. He stood up from his bed, pushing the blankets aside in a rough manner.

Being five in the morning, the others were still asleep. With that in mind, Shadow made sure to keep silent as he stepped into the hallway. He never had been Amy's house before but he could identify the room with the bright pink door was definitely hers. The door was open a little but enough to raise his curiosity. He took a quick glance through the small opening. Still asleep in her bed, the rose looked peaceful. Before he left her alone to sleep, he closed the door the rest of the way.

Maybe staying with the Team wouldn't be such a dreadful idea as he first anticipated. Now that he had someone to fight for.

* * *

Amy, Cream and Cheese were finishing up with eating lunch. Sonic had left for another one of his runs and Tails was attending to his machines so the three of them were left alone in the house. None of them knew where Shadow was but they tried not to worry, hoping he would be fine on his own. Earlier that morning, Amy had gone upstairs and found the guest room door left open and the room completely abandoned.

"I hope Mr. Shadow's okay."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Amy replied to her friend, even though she knew he could have been gone for hours. "I just hope he doesn't go back to those creepy aliens." She took her and Cream's empty dishes to the sink. The whole time Amy washed the dishes, thoughts of Shadow plagued her mind, especially the fact he disappeared without a word.

Wait...why was she worrying about Shadow? Didn't she think about Sonic all the time? Chasing him, asking to be his girl... and each time none of her attempts succeeded. There was the possibility that Sonic didn't feel the same way which was a great disappointment for her.

She wasn't doing anything wrong worrying about Shadow. If he went back to the Black Aliens, she wouldn't be able to forgive him.

"_Shadow wouldn't do that," _Amy kept telling herself, even if she doubted those words.

"Amy, did you want to help me pick some flowers?" Cream asked, her chao companion hovering by her side.

Amy worried at first it would be too dangerous there were no reports of the Black Aliens for almost an entire day. The nearby forest wasn't that far away. "Sure Cream!" She wrote a quick note in case Sonic or Tails would return before they did and left it on the kitchen table. There was no way they could miss it.

Besides, they'd be back in at least twenty minutes.

Or so she thought.

* * *

A fiery sunset enveloped the dark and lonely forest. The Ultimate Lifeform found himself wondering around the area, mostly to spend time collecting together his thoughts. He didn't know how long he had left Amy's house. At the moment, it didn't matter. The need for answers was greater. Nine confusing days passed since he was left alone to wonder about the secrets of his past.

One his hands was rested on his forehead, a vague lost look in his ruby eyes.

"_What's going on with me? I can't get these images out of my mind. Those black creatures, how do they know me? Who was I before this?"_

If Shadow wanted anything, it would be his identity. Living life without knowing _who _he was... It was complete torture, especially on his mind.

Eventually his footsteps came to a stop as he gazed up at the scarlet sky. Noticing the darkness surrounding the forest dawned upon him how long he had been out of the house. Yet the hours passed by so quickly, Shadow losing track of time entirely.

Answers...how could one desire turn into a full blown obsession?

And it wasn't only answers taking priority on his thoughts...

"Cream! Where are you?" a shout rang out in the distance. A moment later, Shadow could hear the same voice call out again but this time shaky and full of sadness. He suddenly realized it was Amy's voice calling out. What could have been causing her so much trouble?

He normally wasn't one to care for others but Amy was an exception. As she spoke for the third time, Shadow hurried in the direction of the voice.

"_I have no reason to help her...but I..."_

"Cream!" Amy shouted in a weakened voice. Eventually, she collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted and helpless. Not only had she lost her friend but she didn't have a clue where she was either. Choked sobs escaped her sore throat. She didn't want to imagine how Vanilla would react if she found out her daughter was lost on her own. _"It's all my fault! Because of me, Cream is..."_

"Rose? Are you all right?"

"S-Shadow?" Amy whispered in relief but her voice still trembled. "M-Me and Cream were going to pick f-flowers and she got lost! I can't find her! Could you help me look for her?"

If anyone else had asked him that question, he would have refused but looking into those desperate emerald eyes, he couldn't say no. Instead, he gave a nod. That was all Amy needed to instantly cheer up. Unknowingly, she took Shadow's hand, leading him down the forest path. Shadow's speed proved to be a valuable asset to the search. Amy wouldn't have been able to search through the forest on her own.

Had the situation not been so urgent, he would enjoyed the warmth of Amy's hand.

What was he thinking? He had a mission to find all the Chaos Emeralds. Helping Amy was a little out of his character. He had no time to bond with the pink hedgehog. Maybe once the secrets to his past were revealed, there would be that possibility...

Possibility? Not a chance.

"Cream!" Amy suddenly exclaimed in surprise, finding her friend huddled against a large, dark tree. She released Shadow's hand, hurrying over to the rabbit's side. "Oh Cream! You really had me worried..."

"I'm sorry Amy." Cream showed Amy her bundle of picked flowers. "I picked these pretty flowers and those scary aliens showed up! I was so scared!"

"Aliens?" questioned a suspicious Shadow.

"They must be the same aliens that destroyed Westopolis yesterday!" Amy said in shock. "They're back?" Finding herself eye to eye with one of the said aliens, Amy gasped with fright. "S-Shadow! Help!"

Not a second too soon, the alien was put to its death by a Chaos Spear. Amy closed her eyes tightly, unable to watch. They opened as a hand grabbed hers and Cream's, the two of them being lead from the alien ambush. Looking back, the aliens were following them as a much quicker speed then Shadow expected. He swiftly carried both Amy and Cream into his arms, his speed accelerating to his full potential. The group of aliens soon faded out of sight as the forest soon became nothing but a blur in the distance.

Thankfully the surroundings were distinctly familiar. Much to their relief, they had found their way back to the house. The happiness was short lived at the reminder the Black Aliens had returned. Simply glancing at the scarlet shaded skies said all.

"I'm...so...glad we made it," Amy said in between gasps for breath. Cream nodded in agreement, too frightened to speak. She placed her bundle of flowers on the table, not in a cheerful mood anymore.

"You shouldn't have wondered off on your own," Shadow told them, frowning in disapproval. "With the Black Aliens here, leaving on your own was irresponsible."

"We were only trying to pick some flowers," Cream said sadly.

"Cream was going to get some flowers for her mother. It wasn't her fault we got lost!" Amy defended her friend.

"If you wanted to pick those _flowers_ so much, you should have told someone, at least. One of us could have went with you," continued the irritated Ultimate Lifeform.

"I'm sorry Mr. Shadow. I wanted to pick the flowers. I should have waited." Cream's brown eyes were full of sadness and regret.

"Please don't tell Sonic about this!" Amy pleaded.

After thinking it over for a minute, Shadow nodded but on the condition they didn't repeat their mistake again. With that being said, he headed back upstairs to wind down in the guest room.

Witnessing with his very eyes the return of the Black Aliens wasn't very reassuring. No doubt they would cause more destruction. With their malicious intentions, one city wouldn't be enough to satisfy their immoral desires. Imagining what Black Doom would do with all seven Chaos Emeralds in his hand deeply disturbed him.

Hoping Cream and Amy would stay in the house, he looked out the window, towards the forest where the Black Aliens had gathered, knowing he had something unfilled he had yet to complete.

Amy and Cream were watching television for the next hour, hoping to calm down from their frightening experience with the Black Aliens. None of them spoke a word since, leaving the house completely silent. The same repetitive news appeared on the screen, the two friends staring at it with a mix of disinterest and exhaustion.

The front door slowly opened, Sonic and Tails returning to the house to see Amy and Cream sound asleep on the couch. Though they were confused of what could have exhausted them to be so tired, they quietly made their way upstairs, deciding to let them have some much needed sleep.

Amy's sleep was not undisturbed. She tossed and turned in a while, memories of the Ultimate Lifeform continuously occupying her dreams. She held onto the couch cushion tightly as two ruby red eyes stared into hers in another dream, each time more intense than before.

"_Rose..."_

That same voice kept repeating her name while she slept, only lasting a few seconds longer until Amy sat up, unable to take it anymore. Headrush soon sunk in a moment later. Thankfully she couldn't hear that voice anymore, yet it sounded so familiar.

That voice... Those eyes...

"_It can't be Shadow... Why would I dream of him?"_

It was just a dream. Nothing more.

An illusion.


	6. Confrontation with the Mastermind

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited. It's very much appreciated! This should now be the better half of my novel, hopefully!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Six : Confrontation with the Mastermind

The evening passed by with hardly a word exchanged between the group of heroes. Sonic and Tails had been trying to contact Rouge and Knuckles but haven't heard back from either one. Cream was still sound asleep while Amy lay awake, staring at the television screen. After her dream, she wasn't intending on going back to sleep. Not where she could hear those voices...

She wasn't surprised to hear that Shadow left the house again. Something was on his mind, even if he refused to show it. He had a habit of being secretive, perhaps to a fault. Most likely to do with the Chaos Emeralds and the Black Aliens. Somehow, the two were linked in some way or another. Tails kept himself occupied creating a device to help locate the rest of the Emeralds, Sonic deciding to help out his friend, leaving both the female hedgehog and rabbit alone to themselves.

As the news reports repeated in a continuous pattern, Amy felt her eyes slowly close, even though she tried to resist the much needed sleep. The stressful day soon took its toll on her mind as she drifted back into a deep slumber. Escaping from the clutches of the Black Aliens was enough to exhaust her energy.

Little did she notice, the mysterious hedgehog on her mind had quietly made his way through the living room. He glanced back the sleeping rose with a half smile on his face. He went upstairs without a sound, another Chaos Emerald in his hands.

Just as he was to turn in for the night, he heard Sonic call out to him, holding a device in his hand. Somewhat interested, he turned to the azure hedgehog.

"Hey Shadow! Look at this!" He handed the device to Shadow, who took it in his hand. "Tails made it when you were gone. This should help you find the other Chaos Emeralds. You really need them, don't ya?"

"I do," was all he could say, still surprised by Sonic's unexpected act of kindness. He glanced back at the small device in his hand. Sonic and Tails had to have spent a long while working on it. He gave a nod to Sonic, unable to voice his gratitude aloud. Sonic got the message, giving his trademark grin in response before hurrying back downstairs.

With the device, everything would go according to plan. He could find the other Chaos Emeralds on his own. Staying with Sonic and his friends was no longer necessary. Shadow was still grateful to the Team but he had to find out the mysteries of his past alone. There was no way around the solid truth. No one, not even Amy, would distract him from his plan and work their way into his thoughts. He worked alone and that's the way it was always going to be.

Four Emeralds were already in his grasp. Three more had yet to be found and nothing would stand in his way of succeeding.

_Soon enough, I will find the secrets to my past..._

"_The day of reckoning will soon be here... Do not disobey me Shadow..." a menacing voice spoke to the sleeping Ultimate Lifeform. The voice sent shivers down the ebony hedgehog's back, its malice piercing the peacefulness of his sleep. "Bring me the seven Chaos Emeralds as promised..."_

_He wanted to refuse the alien leader but for all he knew, Black Doom could be an illusion, an image only existing in his dream. All he had to do was open his eyes and he'd be alone again._

_Since when did he promise Black Doom anything? The alien made no sense at all. The alien had practically appeared out of nowhere and left him even more confused than before._

"_Shadow, you will obey me.."_

_He didn't have to listen to Black Doom anymore. All he had to do was open his eyes and it would be over._

Eyes opening, Shadow sat up from the bed too quickly, soon regretting it, the consequence being headrush. One hand clutched his aching forehead, the other pushing aside the blanket. Three times he had woken up. Each time, he heard Black Doom's menacing voice. Unable to take it anymore, he came to a decision that the search for the last three Chaos Emeralds had to continue, even if it meant abandoning the Team.

A few beeps rang out from the device left on the end table beside the bed. Quickly grasping it in his hand, Shadow stared intently at the small screen, new coordinates appearing towards the eastern skies. He narrowed his eyes at the unusual location. The only option to do was trust the device and find the fifth Chaos Emerald.

Shadow quietly opened his door, giving it a slight push to get it open all the way. Careful not to wake anyone up, he found the way downstairs and spotted the front door easily through the darkness. Hesitantly, he reached for the doorknob.

He wasn't _abandoning_ the Team. After all, he never was a part of it in the first place. Shadow wasn't their friend. How could be friends with all those strangers he didn't even remember?

"_No one's changing my mind. Nothing will stop me from finding all the Chaos Emeralds... Not even you Rose."_

A couple minutes passed by since he left and found himself in the city. The streets of Station Square were unusually quiet in comparison to the heavy traffic during the daylight hours. Faint dawn light shone over the land in a pale blue and fiery orange glow, rays of pink mixing into the view. Streets passed by in an almost instantaneous blur, no traffic to hinder his progress. The beeps from his device grew louder and more rapid with each block he passed.

It was only when he reached the outskirts did a large flying fortress catch his attention. Yet the fortress had company of its own with large orange ships close by, each with Eggman's signature trademark. Shadow's memories of the doctor were still vague but if he also came for the Chaos Emerald, there would be consequences to pay.

An Emerald held tightly in his hand, there was only one method for him to reach the next one in time. "Chaos Control!" A bright light enveloped him for a moment before he disappeared and reappeared in an instantaneous speed. He stood upon the top of the canyon like fortress, looking at the screen of his device again. The signal was strong. It wouldn't be long before the fifth Chaos Emerald was his for the taking.

The silhouette of the alien leader loomed beside the Ultimate Lifeform, still lost in his thoughts. Feeling an eerie presence hover so close to him, Shadow turned around to meet the glare of Black Doom.

"You deliberately disobeyed me Shadow..."

He folded his arms. "No one tells me what to do. I have my own reasons for finding the Chaos Emeralds and I intend to keep it that way."

"What do you think you could accomplish on your own? I gave you orders and you will obey them! Humanity must suffer. I have the perfect killing machine at my disposal... This!" Black Doom replied, motioning to the floating canyon. "Ready to impose terror in unimaginable ways. Any resistance is futile. Disobeying me would not be a wise decision. Shadow, eliminate those ships and find the Chaos Emerald. Do not fail me or the consequences may be severe."

Shadow stepped down from the upper platform down the ground below on the canyon, choosing to ignore Black Doom's orders but it wasn't for the sole reason of being told what to do. He could feel it deep down in his heart that obeying Black Doom would the wrong choice.

"_Please help me Shadow!"_

Shadow blinked in surprise. Was that Maria's voice? In his mind, he could see the innocent face of the young girl before that pink hedgehog took her place.

"_Shadow, we need you! Please, help us!"_

He could see the faces of Sonic and his friends. Somehow, he felt a strong sense of loyalty. Maybe towards their cause. Shadow refused to believe it was more than that.

"I'd only be an ally and nothing more," he whispered to himself and he ran further into the canyon, quickening his search for the next Chaos Emerald with newfound determination and inner strength.

"Amy, have you seen Shadow?" Sonic called from across the hallway.

Amy sighed, closing the door to the guest room. "He's not here. I looked in his room but he was gone."

Sonic could hear the disappointment in her voice and put on a reassuring grin. "Don't you worry Ames. Shadow always comes back doesn't he? He'll be fine."

"Yeah! That's right!" Amy agreed, remembering those times where Shadow pulled through the most difficult of situations, including death itself.

"Now that's the right attitude!" Sonic said, giving Amy a thumbs up. "We can look for Shads if you like. Knowing him, he'll be looking for that Chaos Emerald."

"He's looking for that Emerald? That's why he left?" Amy gave the blue hero a questioning look.

Sonic half shrugged. "He wants those Emeralds but he never told me why. Guess we'll find out sooner or later, won't we? We should go and find Tails. He can help us find Shadow with the Tornado."

"Yeah! That would really help! Come on! Let's go!" Amy insisted, grabbing Sonic by the hand and dragging him forcefully downstairs. Excluding the fact it was only seven in the morning and said fox was still asleep, everything would go according to plan.

Just as she was about to open the door to Tails' room, she heard a couple of knocks on the front door. Wondering who it could be, Amy hurried over to the door, leaving Sonic to wake up his friend.

"Rouge! Knuckles! You came?" Amy asked, relieved to see them again.

"Sorry for coming so late hun, but duty at GUN has been busy. GUN's been worried about the Black Aliens attacking the cities."

"Egghead better not have anything to do with this! Or he'll pay!" Knuckles growled but Amy quickly intervened and invited the two in without another word. Sonic came back with a tired Tails in behind, who was still rubbing his eyes until he realized who the new guests were.

Tails smiled. "Knuckles and Rouge! I'm glad you two could make it!" The bat and echidna made themselves comfortable on the couch as the rest of the Team settled in the room except for Cream who had gone back to stay with her mother.

"So, GUN's worried about the Black Aliens?" Sonic asked, deciding to be the first one to break the ice. "Can't really blame them. Not after what happened in Westopolis. Glad you came!"

"We _would_ have been here earlier but the knucklehead wanted to protect my Emerald. Very generous of him to offer but my Emerald will be fine." Knuckles glared at Rouge.

"Your Emerald?" he snapped.

"Relax Knuckie. I doubt Eggman will steal the Emerald. Not with the Black Aliens here. I told GUN our plan and they agreed to let us join with you. Hope that's okay with you. I'm sure Knuckles doesn't have a problem with it." With that, Rouge gave the red echidna a wink.

"If that Egghead steals the Master Emerald, I'll make him pay!" Knuckles muttered under his breath. "And it will be that batgirl's fault!"

Rouge abruptly elbowed him in the side. "What he really means is he'll be more than happy to help!" Knuckles groaned. She glanced around the room. "Where's Shadow?"

"He's gone. I think he left this morning," Amy replied, in the calmest voice she could muster. "We think he's looking for the Chaos Emeralds."

"And you want to find him? I didn't know you cared about him that much," she asked in a curious tone, a smirk on her face.

Seeing Amy at a loss for words, Sonic stepped in. "We just don't want Shads going all by himself. Nothing serious. With the Black Aliens around, it wouldn't be that safe." Amy inwardly thanked Sonic.

"I wonder why he'd need all the Chaos Emeralds... Did he ever tell you?"

"He didn't. But he really needed them so Sonic helped me make him a tracking device," Tails explained to the curious bat.

"And he just took it and left?" Knuckles asked the fox, who gave a nod.

"We didn't see him since," Tails said, lowering his head. "Maybe it was a mistake to give it to him."

Sonic put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry Tails. We'll find him."

"Then if that's the case, me and Knuckles will tag along. GUN let us borrow one of their ships. Wouldn't it work much better than the Tornado?" the white bat spoke up. Tails gave a nod after thinking about it for a moment. "It's settled then. Just follow me and the knucklehead." Another glare was sent in Rouge's direction, the treasure hunter replying with another wink.

The ship parked outside the house was unlike the Tornado, much larger and equipped with more defence. An obvious update in the design of GUN's usual vehicles. The door automatically opened for them, Sonic deciding to sit down at the top as usual. With everyone settled, the ship left for flight in search of their friend.

"Oh, where could he be? We've been gone two hours!" Amy complained as the ship flew over another section of the city. In the piloting seat, the two tailed fox was trying his best to concentrate, having been woken up in the middle of his sleep. That Chaos Emerald device took almost all night to finish... Did Sonic _have_ to give it to Shadow that early in the morning?

"Relax Ames. We'll find Shads," Sonic told Amy for the hundredth time that day. That girl really knew how to worry and it took its toll on both Sonic and Tails. Amy could barely keep still in her seat, finding her attention glued to the windshield, hoping for any sign of the Ultimate Lifeform.

Ever since Shadow agreed to be a temporary part of their Team, the death hugs Amy gave Sonic decreased dramatically. Yet Sonic couldn't complain. Especially since Amy seemed happy around him.

"What's that over there?" Amy said, pointing to the hovering canyon in the sky.

"We'll find out when we get there. Fly us over there, Tails," Sonic told his friend, who nodded and directed the ship upwards.

Amy kept a close eye on the canyon, careful not to look all the way down. She really hated heights, the thought of being so high in the air unnerving inside. But if she wanted to find Shadow, she knew she would have to deal with it. She gasped, pointing to the edge of the vast canyon. "Sonic, look!"

"What did I tell you Ames?" Sonic said, turning to his beaming friend. "Told ya Shads would be all right."

"He does have a point. Sometimes you worry too much hun," Rouge told the excited pink hedgehog.

"A little too much if you ask me," Knuckles said under his breath.

"Shadow!" Amy called out to her friend.

The fifth Chaos Emerald was his at last. Other than those annoying Black Aliens and Eggman's robots, everything went smoothly. He could hear a high pitch voice all out to him. Curious, he turned around and saw, much to see his surprise, a GUN ship and through the windshield, Amy's smiling face. Sonic stood at the front end of the lowering vehicle, grinning at Shadow. Seeing that blue hedgehog's cheery face, Shadow sighed.

"Not you again..."

"Nice to see you too," Sonic replied, not seeming to care that his presence was unwelcome. "Ames was worried and wouldn't leave us alone until we agreed to look for you."

A questionable glance was directed at the pink hedgehog who couldn't resist the urge to give Shadow one of her death hugs. Ruby red eyes widened in shock as Amy's arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Sonic smirked the entire time, noticing one of Shadow's arms hold her closer to him. A small hint of a small smile lingered on Shadow's face. A knowing look flashed on Rouge's face but she decided that mystery could wait until later.

Sonic cleared his throat, bringing both Shadow and Amy back to their senses. "How about we find that next Chaos Emerald now? You getting a new location Shadow?"

He blinked at the small screen, deciphering the new coordinates. "The next Emerald is in...space."

"No problem! Beside, we're coming with ya Shads, whether you like it or not. We better get going before the Black Aliens get the Chaos Emerald," Sonic told the Ultimate Lifeform.

"Fine," he muttered. "But don't call me Shads." Shadow found himself a spot in the ship that was thankfully far away from Sonic and from everyone else for that matter. He buried his face in his gloved hands, taking a seat on the ground. Nothing made sense anymore. He needed some time to figure things out. Not sure of who to trust, what to believe and what was real... Shadow hoped in time he would find the answers to his past and his true purpose, even if it meant joining up with the Team for a little while longer.


	7. Reunion! Space Colony ARK

My personal favourite chapter of the whole novel. ;) Again, thanks so much for the awesome feedback!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Seven : Reunion! Space Colony ARK

An hour passed since the Team made it through the planet's atmosphere and into the world of space above. The ship was unusually quiet, no one in the mood to talk. The ship was on autopilot, giving Tails a chance to take a break. Sonic leaned back in his chair, both arms behind his head, eyes closed. Amy kept herself occupied by pacing back and forth in the hallways, Rouge winking at Knuckles every chance she got. Shadow was nowhere to be found, making his presence unknown since he agreed to allow the others to help him find the last Chaos Emeralds.

Absolutely nothing to do to pass the time. Amy was bored out of her mind. She thought the trip to space would have been a little more exciting... The rest of the Team had split up for the time being to think things over. Amy already completed that process too many times to count. Had the situation been different, the minutes would have gone by chasing after Sonic. But since the hero wanted to rest, she decided to leave him alone. If there was anyone she wanted to talk to, she would have spoken to Shadow but _where _exactly was he? That habit of his to disappear only caused her worry. It had nothing to do with her personally, she desperately hoped. If she did something to turn him off, she needed to know.

"_I hate it when they leave me alone..." _she thought to herself, trying to think of something more pleasant as she explored further in the ship. Without Cream there with her, she didn't have anyone else to talk to. Almost all of the doors had been closed, leaving the ship in near darkness. One door, however, was left open. Amy peeked in, curious. Much to her surprise, Shadow stood by the window, his back turned to her.

The Ultimate Lifeform had no idea Amy was standing behind him. Their destination had been closely approaching... The ARK. He could already feel a headache forming.

"Space Colony ARK... This place, so familiar but why?" he spoke aloud unintentionally in a confused whisper. Amy took a couple steps closer beside Shadow. "This is where I..." A vivid image suddenly flashed into his mind, Shadow gasping lightly in response. "Maria..!" For a second, he could see her face again before a gunshot soon followed. Shortly after, he saw himself falling down from space into the atmosphere. "Died...?" he finished, lost for any other words.

"Shadow?" Amy asked in a soft voice. He flinched in response, shocked the rose hedgehog had been there the whole time and heard everything.

"Rose? Why are you here?"

Amy fidgeted with her hands, a little nervous around Shadow. "No reason. There wasn't anything I could do."

"What about the blue hedgehog? I thought you liked him." Amy's jaw dropped a little in astonishment.

"W-Well, he is my hero but...it just isn't the same." Amy sighed. "But I just can't give up. I only wanted to be with Sonic but I don't think he wants me to."

He raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're sure of that, Rose?"

Amy gave a weak nod. "I think so. And Shadow, you know you can just call me Amy."

"Ro-Amy," he replied, quickly correcting himself. "Your name was one of only things I could remember before I lost everything. Some parts of it are coming together but I don't know what makes sense anymore."

"Was that why you came here?" Amy asked, trying to be careful with her choice of words.

"That wasn't the only reason. This was," he said, motioning to the Space Colony above.

"ARK?" Amy questioned, before an idea came to her mind. "You said this place was familiar. We were there before when you saved the world."

Shadow shook his head. "I don't quite remember. All these memories, I don't know if they're real or not. My only hope is getting those Chaos Emeralds. With them, I can find out the secrets of my past."

"So that's why you're looking for them!" Amy said in realization. "Why didn't you tell any of us before? We would have helped you."

"I don't know who to trust. I can't side with you that easily," Shadow explained to Amy.

"Shadow, you can trust us! We've been there for you, haven't we? When was that Black Doom guy nice to you?" With each word that Amy spoke, Shadow found himself even more confused than before. Yes, it was true Sonic and his friends treated him like an equal but Black Doom supposedly knew about his past. Caught in the middle, Shadow was left undecided.

"You don't understand Amy. I know you mean well but I have to do this on my own. This isn't your problem. Don't drag you and your friends into this."

"But Shadow! We can't. We came this far and-"

"Then you can stay back while I look for the next Emerald," came Shadow's quick reply. Amy opened her mouth to retort when the ship was slowly coming to a stop. Loud screeches rang out from outside the ship. Amy groaned, covering her ears.

"What's that noise?" One look outside the window answered her question. Another army of Black Aliens flew straight towards the ship. "Shadow! Those creepy aliens are back!"

"Ah yeah! Bring it on!" Sonic said from the doorway, glad to have found his dark counterpart. "Looks like the party's getting started! Time to rock and roll. You up for this Shadow?"

"More than you are," the confident Ultimate Lifeform replied, the two hedgehogs leaving the room in a blur. Amy sighed, leaning against the wall. Even with his loss of memories, those two still competed with each other.

* * *

"Too easy! Piece of cake!" Sonic boasted as he followed the group into the ARK.

"They had you surrounded, blue hedgehog. If I wasn't there, you would have been in trouble," Shadow corrected the overconfident hero, who pouted, hearing every word.

"Other than that, it was a piece of cake! Really, it was!" he insisted.

Ignoring Sonic, Shadow checked the device to see the signal was getting stronger. Ignoring the presence of his companions, he continued to stride forward. Catching him leave from the corner of her eye, Amy turned to hurry after Shadow into the ARK.

"Ames! Hold on a minute!" Sonic called to his friend who didn't pay attention to a word he said. Sometimes, getting through to her was as hopeless as Eggman giving up on his Empire.

"That girl's got some determination, I'll give her that." Perhaps Rouge's supposition might be correct. If Amy was willing to chase after Shadow, that only increased the odds even more...

"Shadow? Shadow, where are you?" Amy shouted, already lost in the endless maze known as the Space Colony ARK. Five minutes was all it took to get herself lost. "Shadow!" She took a minute to catch her breath, exhausted from the wondering around.

"_Why'd I have to go and get myself lost?"_

Amy soon a staircase, leading to another floor high up. Seeming a bit familiar, Amy decided to explore and took an intended quick look around, stopping when she recognized a familiar room up ahead. That room where she and Shadow had met for the second time, when he...

Hoping for a miracle, Amy hurried over to the doorway, holding onto the side to support herself. The room was empty, much to her disappointment. Why did she even believe Shadow would be there? Shadow could be anywhere and Amy would never know.

Amy let go of the door frame, taking small steps forward until she found herself captivated in the amazing view outside the window. She stared out the large window, her hands pressed against the glass. Amy had a great view of the planet from so high above. Forgetting that she didn't know where her friends were, she leaned against the window, stunned by how vast the stars covered space.

"It's so beautiful..." Amy whispered to herself, reaching towards the stars. Mindlessly leaning forward a little too far, she found herself brought back from her daydreams when her face almost made connection with the ground. Something or someone stopped her from getting hurt but who...?

Amy glanced down to see herself holding on tightly to a black and red arm. She felt her face flush as Shadow gazed at her in a mix of confusion.

"Amy, what are you doing here?" he questioned the awkward rose. "I thought you were with Son-the faker." He quickly corrected himself, careful to keep his composure steady. Hard to do when such a cute girl clung to his arm. Wait...cute? He shoved the thought away, refusing to ponder it a second longer.

"I-I got lost?" she offered, smiling nervously. Amy felt a little awkward as Shadow helped her fully stand up again. She could faintly see the ghost of a smile on his handsome face before his usual neutral expression wiped it away.

"Sounds reasonable enough." Something about Shadow's voice stuck out from his usual indifferent tone.

"You expected me to get lost?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"Have you been here before?"

"I did, but only once. You remembered your promise to Maria and saved the world! We were here before," Amy told Shadow, who's eyes widened in astonishment. He could feel it... another memory. There was no doubt as his head began to ache badly.

"Ugh!" Shadow groaned, falling down on the ground. Amy quickly caught him in her arms.

"Shadow, are you okay? Shadow!"

No response. Worried, Amy tried carrying him as best as she could, hoping Sonic and the others would find them soon.

"_Shadow! I beg of you... Please, do it for me, for a better future!" Maria pleaded to her friend who was encased in a capsule, unable to get himself out. Shadow pounded against the glass, frightened that it did not break under the pressure. The resounding footsteps only grew louder as the GUN soldiers were closer to reaching their destination._

"_Maria!" His friend's hands grasped the lever tightly, ready to release the escape capsule. "Don't worry about me. Save yourself!"_

"_Shadow, promise me that you'll help people and be friends with them!" Maria's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Please Shadow!"_

"_I-I promise Maria," replied a shaken Shadow on the verge of tears._

"_For all those people who live on that planet, give them a chance to be happy. Let them live for their dreams..." Maria continued, the door suddenly knocked down in one swift blow. She prepared to release her friend when she felt an incredible pain sear throughout her body. Maria glanced down to see the bullet struck her directly into her heart. Her shaking hands pulled down the lever all the way, watching her friend descend to the planet, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She collapsed to the ground._

"_Shadow... I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought into this world..." Maria took one last look at the capsule. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog." With that being said, her heart stopped beating, her last breath being taken._

"_That's what I promised her and I must keep that promise," Shadow whispered, shocked to feel a tear slide down his muzzle. He quickly wiped it away, a second one joining the first._

"_Shadow?" Amy asked, worried at the Ultimate Lifeform's change of mood._

"_That's what Maria wished for," Shadow continued, eyes filled with resolution. The planet was in grave danger all because of him. How could he have been so foolish to deceive his promise to his lost friend?_

_He gazed at the rose hedgehog standing by his side and couldn't help but feel grateful to her. He had to repay her somehow. An idea coming to his mind, he held Amy close, both of his arms embracing her in a soothing manner. Amy froze in shock, initially taken aback by the unexpected hug. It felt so welcome and genuine. No one ever gave her something that special before. Shadow soon let go, Amy missing the absence of his warm body against hers._

"_I've got to go now. I have to keep my promise to Maria... and you," he finished, his whisper tickling Amy's ear. As soon as every trace of Shadow was gone from the room, Amy collapsed on her knees, not sure whether to smile or cry with the thought of never seeing Shadow again. Because of her, Shadow decided to help save the planet but deep down, she had a horrible feeling something was going to go wrong._

"_Please be okay. You can do it Shadow," Amy said quietly._

* * *

Shadow's ruby eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness. He buried his face in his hands, the discomforting headache still persistent. Rather, it felt worse in comparison to earlier. Earlier...wait? Where was Amy? He quickly glanced around the room, no trace of the cheerful hedgehog anywhere. "Where am I?" he whispered aloud.

"Hey Shadow! Glad to see you're awake. Took you long enough, slowpoke," Sonic spoke to his still disoriented doppelganger. "Ames brought ya here a couple hours ago. She said you passed out or something."

That's right... Shadow was with Amy and that memory... "Yeah. Something like that," Shadow said, keeping it subtle. His past was none of Sonic's business and he wanted to keep it that way. "Where's Amy?"

"In her room, trying to calm down. Ames worries too much," Sonic told Shadow, who seemed mildly interested. "I know it may seem crazy but Amy may like ya."

An eyebrow was raised at that statement. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about. If she want to be with you so much, wouldn't that mean something? I've seen how Ames worries about you." Sonic began to chuckle at the thought. "Didn't expect her to move on that fast..."

"Move on?" Shadow repeated, somewhat suspicious.

"Um, it's nothing Shads! Honest," Sonic replied, laughing nervously. "Since you're finally up, why don'cha go talk to her? It's not like you to be such a slowpoke."

"Fine, if you insist, faker... That means you have to lead the way." As the two left the room, Sonic cast a knowing look in Shadow's direction, the latter scowling in response.

Not able to resist teasing his rival, Sonic continued. "You like Ames, even if you don't act like it..

"Hmph." Arms folded, he looked away, the two stopping at a room, most likely where Amy was staying for the night. Amy was resting against the couch, concern written all over her face. Seeing the said hedgehog in the doorway, her expression brightened.

"Shadow! You're finally awake. You really had me worried back there," Amy exclaimed, giving him a hug. "Something wrong?" she asked, noticing the thoughtful expression his face.

He shook his head. "No. It doesn't matter. Sonic told me you were worried. Why?"

"Hey, you called me by my name!" Sonic cut in, a cheeky grin on his face. Shadow narrowed his eyes.

"Don't push your luck, blue hedgehog," he warned his rival.

"I see you haven't lost your charm," came Sonic's remark, before heading out the door. "I'll leave you two alone then. See ya later Shadow." He could have _sworn_ he heard that faker chuckling as he hurried down the hallway.

"Shadow," Amy began, unsure of where to begin. "So, you're okay?"

"I suppose," he managed to say, his mind still focused on what Sonic told him earlier. Maybe he did care a lot about Amy. But the thought unsettled him. Wasn't his priority supposed to be to find the secrets of his past? Bonding with the Team was out of the question, let alone care for the rose... If his original plan included abandoning the others, then heck with it. Amy must have been worried the whole time he was unconscious. "I had a dream. That's all." No need to get into the details. Answering with _I'm remembering you _would have been a little too awkward for his liking.

"You looked a little upset. I was really worried." Feeling touched by her compassion, Shadow was almost tempted to tell her the whole truth but decided keeping it subtle would be for the better.

"Amy, you told me we were here before. On the ARK." Amy nodded.

"Yes! We were. Do you remember?" she asked with hope on her face. The same expression on her face when they spoke before the Black Aliens arrived. Before the incident with Westopolis, Shadow would have replied with a 'No,' had he never encountered the Team. The time spent with this rose changed his views on her. Yet his dream could have been exactly what it was; an illusion playing tricks on his mind.

No words could answer that eager question. Neither yes or no could describe his feelings appropriately, leaving him left in the middle, shrouded in doubt. Hesitantly, he settled on the other side of the couch, making sure to keep a reasonable distance between him and Amy. "I don't know," he reluctantly admitted, a wistful edge to his tone. Either Black Doom or Amy had told him the truth, the cheerful hedgehog the most likely of the two. The alien leader seemed very well informed, on the other hand. Two stories... but which one was real? He sighed, shaking his head in dismissal. "It doesn't matter anyway. Once I uncover the secrets to my past, then I'll have the answers." _Maybe..._

"Shadow..."

He slowly rose from the couch and took a few steps towards the door. "You should go to sleep Amy. It's getting late."

The clock read 12:43 in bright red, neon numbers. Startled, Amy stood from the couch and hurried over to her bed. "I didn't know it was that late. I'm sorry." She nearly stumbled on a discarded blanket in the process, Shadow quickly catching her with his abnormally fast reflexes. The awkward hedgehog got balanced again, cheeks hot with embarrassment. Falling down in front of Shadow was the last thing she wanted to happen.

"Shadow, I didn't mean to-" She was quickly silenced by one of Shadow's rare smiles.

"Now we're even," he said with a smirk. With a nervous giggle, Amy got under the covers, face turned in the opposite direction, trying to hide the small blush that crept onto her face without warning. With one gentle tug, Shadow adjusted some of the blankets that were sliding off the mattress due to Amy hurrying into the bed in a disorganized rush. For a brief second, she felt his thumb brush the back of her neck. The sudden warmth that flooded her face didn't make the situation any better.

"Goodnight...Amy Rose." Shadow's hand rested against Amy's shoulder for a second before he reluctantly pulled it away and left the room without wasting any time. Amy buried her red face in the pillow, a part of her missing that warmth of his hand.

Finding his room didn't take the Ultimate Lifeform a minute, being conveniently across from Amy's. He couldn't help but smile at the thought before he realized what he was doing, his stoic frown washing away the little joy on Shadow's face. No doubt Amy's very presence was affecting him in so many strange ways.

Hoping a rest would clear his mind, he settled on the bed, wrapping the blanket around his body and allowed his eyes to close. Minutes passed and no sleep came to the irritated ebony hedgehog.

"_Shadow, you disobeyed me again..."_

That voice sounded _too_ familiar... Soon recognizing the voice, Shadow knew sleep wasn't an option. Not if that alien had to interfere. He quietly gasped as he felt his surroundings disappear, only to find himself hovering in space.

"Shadow," came Black Doom's deep voice. The hedgehog in question whirled around in shock to see the alien leader. "You seem troubled."

"Black Doom, what do you want with me?" he asked, his voice cold with distrust.

"Your loyalty. You have disobeyed me for the last time Shadow. All I ask for is for you to join me. The human race must be eliminated. Those fools will feel the true wrath of the Black Arms."

Shadow had little sympathy for the people on the planet but that dream, that promise held him back from going down the path of destruction. A negative presence radiated from Black Doom. He averted his attention away from the intense glare of the leader. "Don't even bother. I'm not interested."

"This is your last warning Shadow... If you must continue this foolishness, then see for yourself what those ungrateful humans had done..." Black Doom motioned to the Space Colony ARK. All three of his eyes pierced into Shadow as cold as a dagger. Shadow felt a strong ache in his head and he clutched his forehead tightly with his hands.

"Ugh!" he groaned, eyes shut, his expression tortured with pain. _"M-Maria!" _He could see images of those GUN soldiers and the very gun that took Maria's life, the bullet that impaled her heart. As quickly as they came, the images vanished, leaving Shadow alone with Black Doom again, his hands shaking at his sides. Black Doom watched the hedgehog's despair with a twinge of amusement. Memories were more effective than he thought.

"That's right," he began. "This will remind you what the humans did to you. Never forget that horrifying image!"

"You think I'm going to join you Black Doom? I don't take orders from anyone, especially you," replied Shadow with a firm sense of defiance.

"Very well, you fool. You have twenty four hours to change your mind or those hours may be your last. Think about it Shadow... Who is the enemy? Me, the saviour to the human race or those fools who think they can defy the Black Arms?" Black Doom slowly faded away, Shadow appearing back in his room, exactly the way it had been left.

No sooner did he realize his confrontation with Black Doom was over did he hear three pairs of footsteps from outside the room. He slowly opened the door and glanced down the dark, vacant hallway. He could have sworn he saw three figures but in the blink of an eye, they were gone. Sighing, he closed the door and returned to his room.

Shadow collapsed on the bed, his mind still racing with those horrifying memories. Hands still shaking, he tried to pull the blankets over his shivering body, the blanket dropping from his unsteady grasp time and time again. Finally he pulled the blanket over his trembling frame with one final pull, the trembling also the aftermath of his inner rage. Black Doom had the nerve to use those painful thoughts against him, hoping to manipulate him to joining the Black Arms? Not a chance. Shadow finally knew it was the leader of the Black Arms who was his enemy. Sonic and the others were truly his allies, even if he didn't care for them tagging along.

And most of all, that meant Amy could be trusted as a reliable friend. A bit relieved at the thought, Shadow drifted to sleep without the death of Maria haunting his mind.


	8. Destination! A Haunted Complication

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Eight : Destination! A Haunted Complication

Amy was sitting at the breakfast table with the rest of the Team, staring absentmindedly into her cup of water which reflected her gaze in a clear image. She didn't say a word at all that morning, her thoughts too preoccupied on Shadow. Amy would have tried to find him but her chances of getting lost again were high. She ran into Shadow the night before by pure coincidence.

"Hey Ames, something wrong?" Sonic asked, noticing the lost expression on Amy's face. She snapped out of her trance, nodding and quickly took a gulp of water, almost choking on the large mouthful in the process. She quietly sighed with relief when Sonic gave another one of his grins and turned to discuss something else with Tails. If Sonic noticed her change of mood, her efforts of hiding her feelings weren't strong enough. How was she supposed to explain those screams from across her bedroom last night? The very reason Amy felt exhausted; her lack of sleep.

Without a doubt one of those voices had been Shadow's. The other was too dark and deep for her to recognize. All she found out was it badly affected Shadow. Amy never heard him shout out in agony like that before, that sound quite startling in comparison to his usual indifferent behaviour.

"Aren't ya hungry at all?" Sonic asked as Amy stood from her seat to leave the room.

"I'll eat later." Amy left the room without saying another word. The rest of the Team exchanged curious expressions. To be honest, Amy didn't care if she got lost again. She usually enjoyed the company of the others, especially Sonic but she found herself wanting to get away from it all.

Quickly remembering Shadow's room was across from hers, she made her way towards it, hoping she'd find him there. Amy knocked on the door a couple times before it automatically opened on its own. She poked her head inside. "Hello?" she called, hoping to hear a response in return. Instead, her voice echoed off the metal walls, fading out shortly after. Amy took a few steps forward to see Shadow's bed was neatly made, as if he never was there in the first place. No trace of his existence could be found. Worried, Amy looked in every possible place Shadow could be in this room, unable to accept the fact he disappeared again. In space of all places!

"Amy? What are you doing in my room?" asked a collected voice she knew too well. She gulped, seeing Shadow stand in the doorway, a neutral look on his face.

"Well, I thought you disappeared again and I wanted to look for you," Amy admitted, fiddling with her hands out of anxiety.

"And why would you want to look for me?" His arms now folded, he stared intently at Amy, who awkwardly was trying to come up with a suitable answer. Under the intensity of his attention, Amy tried to fight back a light blush.

"Oh, it's nothing. Sorry I went into your room without asking," Amy apologized.

"I didn't say I was angry." He faltered a little as he took a seat on the bed. "If you were looking for me, then I want to know why." Taking more of a firm approach, Amy sat down beside Shadow, unable to look him in the eye.

"I heard voices in here last night," she confessed, a concise look of disbelief on Shadow's voice. The possibly lingered that Amy heard the argument between him and Black Doom the night before.

"Voices?" he repeated, frowning in deep thought.

"Well, they came from here, I think. I thought I heard you shouting at someone," Amy continued, Shadow tightening a fist in reaction. She _had_ heard them.

"You could have been dreaming," he told her, trying to close the subject quickly. His dispute with Black Doom was his own business anyway. Those alien's words kept repeating through his mind.

"_Think about it Shadow... Who is the enemy? Me, the saviour to the human race or those fools who think they can defy the Black Arms?" _

The silence was broken due to the rapid beeping of the Chaos Emerald detector. Shadow quickly retrieved the device in his hand, leaving Amy confused on the bed. Without a second to waste, he stepped out of the room in the direction of the others.

"_Maybe I was dreaming...but I know I heard Shadow's voice. He's hiding something. I just know he is."_

Amy stood up, about to follow Shadow when she saw the corner of a picture stick out from one of the drawers of a very old dresser. Knowing Shadow wouldn't be back anytime soon, she opened the drawer a little bit, creating a loud squeak from its years of abandonment. Being careful with the aged drawer, she pulled it out slower and held the picture in a delicate manner. Carefully, she brushed the dust of the photograph.

A blonde girl of twelve years old gazed at her with beautiful blue eyes. Beside her was Shadow with one of his rare full smiles on his face; perhaps the happiest Amy ever saw him. Maybe that was the real personality of Shadow before the incident happened fifty years ago. Amy felt captivated by the girl's innocence. That cheerful smile on her face and how happy she was... That thought registered through her mind. Was that girl Maria? Shadow's lost friend who wanted peace for the world?

After a moment of contemplation, Amy allowed herself to take the picture with her, feeling something about that picture was important. She took one last look at the smiling girl before tucking it safely away. Returning to the breakfast table, she noticed it was vacant. Worried, she rushed out of the room, only to collide into a surprised Ultimate Lifeform standing next to an equally surprised Sonic.

"I'm really sorry Shadow," Amy replied in a meek tone. The fact she was sprawled on the ground didn't help much. Shadow held out his hand, somewhat reluctant at first. Surprised, she accepted it and let him pull her back up to her feet, Sonic smirking in the background.

"Where are you two going?" Amy asked, hoping to stray from her clumsy fall.

"_I_ was going to find the next Chaos Emerald on my own but this faker wanted to go too." Under his breath, he muttered, "Irritating pest..."

"Hey, it's been a while since we raced. Don't be such a chicken Shadow," Sonic teased, earning him another death glare.

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Shadow snapped, tightening a fist, hoping Sonic would get the hint.

"Fine, then. Let's go. You ready Shadow?" Sonic asked. "Unless you're a slowpoke."

"If that's a challenge, then you're on!"

Sonic chuckled, opening the door and immediately recognizing his surroundings. "Shadow, don't you remember? We once raced each other here. This is just like old times. A race for the Emerald!"

"Good luck Shadow!" Amy said, holding her hands together. A half smile was all she needed for a reply. The two sped out the door in two distinct blurs, their competitive nature giving them determination. Once the sixth Chaos Emerald was found, only one would remain. The journey was so close to being finished. Amy didn't know what to expect when Shadow successfully gathered all the Emeralds in his possession. His main desires were the answers to his past without a doubt.

Amy took another glance at the picture she kept with her. There definitely had been a strong bond between him and Maria. Shadow never looked that happy whenever he was around the others. Instead, he was lost in the depths of confusion. Amy didn't want to imagine what it would be like to lose all memory of her identity. To a degree, she could understand his motives but what would he do once he achieved his goal? It didn't seem likely for his loyalty to swift towards the Black Aliens, even if he avoided the Team every opportunity he got.

She carefully put the photograph back into her hidden pocket. Shadow's smile seemed too out of his character but so appealing at the same time, due to his serious attitude. She found herself resting her head on the table, mentally exhausted from her lack of sleep last night. As her mind sifted through her memories, Amy lightly gasped as one thought stuck out to her. Without a doubt Shadow had been shouting last night. The second voice was much deeper, twisted with malice. Only a villain would have spoken in that hostile expression. Her heart pounded at that alarming notion.

The door closed with a loud thud, awakening Amy from her quick rest. Sonic and Shadow were back from their adventure and were telling the others the good news, Shadow holding the Emerald with pride. He knew for certain he won against Sonic but the hero wouldn't admit it, saying he was the faster one.

The smirk on his face instantly disappeared, replaced with a look of anguish. He could see him running alongside Sonic, ready to fight to the death. A race that was much more than winning against the other. He gasped, shocking the rest of the Team. Sonic, who was in the middle of telling his tale of how emerged victorious, stopped in midsentence, staring Shadow in concern.

"Hey Shadow, you okay?"

"Sonic... now I remember. That day we fought here aboard the ARK," Shadow whispered in realization, ruby eyes wide.

Then, without warning, he collapsed.

* * *

"_Those fools... they are your enemy," Black Doom whispered into Shadow's ear. "Exterminate them. They are a distraction."_

_Shadow found himself shaking his head vigorously. "I won't. You're not ordering me around Black Doom. You're the fool."_

"_Do you really think you can defy me? Your bravery is but a fault. It will only destroy you. Serve the Black Arms and you will be spared..."_

"_I'm not serving you Black Doom and I never will." Feeling a strong sense of loyalty towards the group of heroes, Shadow narrowed his eyes at the angered alien, folding his arms stubbornly. _

"_What do you think vermin like you can do on your own? Those who commit mutiny against me will see no mercy and do not defy me again!" Black Doom threatened._

"_Shadow!"_

_Before he knew it, the image of Black Doom faded away as the call of his companions grew louder and more frequent._

"Shadow! Please be okay," Amy pleaded, holding on tightly to Shadow's hand. With a soft moan, he opened his eyes. With an exclaim, the others gathered in the room. "Everyone! He's awake!"

"...Amy?" Shadow quietly mumbled under his breath. "Where am I?"

"The ARK," she replied, lessening her death grip on his hand. "You passed out and we brought you back to your room."

"I see." He groaned, the right side of his head sore. "My head..."

"You took quite a fall. Hit your head," Knuckles spoke up.

"_Not again..."_ Shadow inwardly thought, trying to find a more preferable position to rest.

"Glad to see you up and about again Shads! It's about time," Sonic said in his usual carefree voice.

Shadow glanced from one face to the other of the Team, each relieved to see he was all right. Black Doom had been wrong. Sonic and his friends weren't the fools. They were his allies and his, dare he mention it, friends. He could have been left alone with this task of finding all the Chaos Emeralds but the group stayed with him and cared for him, even when he didn't return it. Only true friends would do that. All Black Doom wanted him for was to serve him and his army of Black Arms. The nerve of that race, trying to use him!

He gave a half smirk in Sonic's direction. "Heh, admit it. You lost the race."

Sonic grinned and shook his head. "I'm the world's fastest hedgehog. No way I could lose!"

Amy could only smile at the heartwarming scene. To some degree, the two had came to an understanding with that friendly competition still intact. Her smile changed to a frown of suspicion when an abnormally large comet was in view out of the window. "Hey, what's that?"

Shadow glanced out the window through the corner of his eye. "The Black Comet..." he whispered before clutching his head in pain.

"Shadow, what's wrong?" Sonic asked.

"I feel it... the Black Aliens. They're up there and so are the answers. I've got to get to that comet," Shadow insisted, attempted to stand up from the bed before Amy gently pushed him back down.

"You should get some rest first," she suggested. "You must be tired."

"Amy, I'm not-" Already a blanket was pulled over his body before he could finish his sentence. He rested his head against the soft pillow, the comfort already taking him over. Maybe an hour or two couldn't hurt. Not if the final battle was just ahead...


	9. The Story of Project Shadow

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Nine : The Story of Project Shadow

"_Ugh! Black Doom, stop this!" came Shadow's pained shout as the leader tortured his mind._

"_I gave you a warning and you disobeyed me. Accept your punishment." Shadow glared at Black Doom in pure hate. The alien was playing on his memories and he grew tired of it. Threatening him into submission was going too far. Shadow struggled to pull free of Black Doom's control. Black Doom frowned a little at his defiance but a smug grin took its place when Shadow gasped in pain as the same agonizing memory repeated itself for the fifth time without any mercy. His arms quivered a little, unable to take the pain any longer._

_All I have to do is wake up... then it will be over._

"_Shadow, this isn't over yet... Soon, we will meet you again and you and those fools will be at my mercy." Shadow was never more relieved to see Black Doom disappear as he regained consciousness._

The white pillow nearly was strangled by the death grasp of the Ultimate Lifeform. Releasing the pillow, his exhausted arms lay back his sides as he tried to keep them as still as he can.

Amy was standing by his bed, noticing the distraught in Shadow's expression and posture. "You okay?"

"Yeah...bad dream," he replied, his normally indifferent voice wavering. He pushed the blankets off his body, no longer enjoying the comfort, treating the material somewhat of a bother. _"That's the last time I'm getting any rest. I have to confront Black Doom. I need to get to that comet..." _

Only an hour passed since he had fallen asleep. It could have been worse, Shadow reminded himself. Putting up with another rest, he would not back down from his decision to confront Black Doom once and for all. The blanket fell to the ground as Shadow got himself off of the mattress, leaving behind a confused Amy.

"Shadow! Where are you going?"

"To talk some reason with the blue pest. I must get to the Black Comet immediately," Shadow answered, a tight frown on his concerned face. "Black Doom wants to settle this and I agreed."

"You're _fighting _Black Doom?" Amy asked in disbelief. "By yourself?"

"I don't have any other choice," came his bitter reply. "And you better not get in my way." Shocked by his strange behaviour, Amy allowed Shadow to leave the room.

"I thought Ames told ya to rest Shadow," Sonic said, leaning back in his chair casually.

"I don't have time to rest. Black Doom wants to end this at the Black Comet. If you try to stop me Sonic, I'll take you out," Shadow quietly threatened.

"If you insist but are you sure you can take that guy on your own?" Sonic asked, a little worried himself.

"Wouldn't even be a challenge. Are you going to help me or not?" he snapped, arms folded with impatience.

"Sure," Sonic began to say. "But we're gonna go with you!" Shadow groaned.

"I need to do this on my own. I can't put any of you in danger." A rare tone of worry slipped through his cold exterior.

"I knew it! You just don't want us going because you don't want us to get hurt. Nice of ya to worry about us but we don't go down without a fight," came Sonic's conclusion.

"You'll only get in my way," Shadow told Sonic, realizing his mistake.

"If ya say so. Tails, we'll need your help to fly us to the Black Comet," Sonic told his best friend, who gave a thumbs up. "Let's get going to that ship. I'll race you Shadow."

The group had met up at the ship, Amy somewhat annoyed at Sonic for giving in. "He was supposed to rest!"

"Hey, don't blame me for this. Shadow wouldn't let up on me," Sonic insisted, backing away from Amy.

"Shadow!" Amy said, rounding on him. "I told you to rest. We could have gone to that comet later!"

"I'm not changing my mind," Shadow firmly told Amy. "Don't get in my way."

"But-" Amy began when Shadow cut in front of her, going aboard the ship without wasting any more time. She soon followed behind, upset that she took out her frustration on him. Shadow had every reason to be angry at her. He stood close to the windshield the whole time they were in flight to their destination. Amy had a hard time keeping still in her seat, worried to see Shadow avoid her. All she wanted was for him to be well rested before confronting Black Doom. Maybe she took it too far. Shadow had his way of being stubborn sometimes.

"_It's finally time," _Shadow thought, an anxious frown on his face. Either he or Black Doom would win the battle, the planet at stake and the life of humanity put on the line. He held the tracking device tightly in his hand, knowing the very last Emerald's location was on the Black Comet itself. Finding the other Emeralds passed by quickly whenever he stopped and thought about it but so much was at risk for the final one. The Emerald, life and the secrets to his mysterious past...and the safety of his friends. _"They're fools to ignore my warning. They'll only get hurt and Amy..."_ He lowered his head at the thought of Amy in danger. _"It will be my fault if she gets hurt."_

Tails carefully steered the planet to a safe area on the Black Comet, happening to pass by a large red and yellow striped ship with Eggman's signature symbol marked on the side. "Sonic, Eggman's here!"

"What?" Sonic asked, staring out the window and shaking his head. "What's that Egghead doing here?"

"As long as he stays away from that Emerald, it doesn't matter why the doctor is here." With that, Shadow headed for the exit and stepped outside. The Team exchanged confused and worried expressions.

"We have to follow him! We can't let him wonder off on his own," Amy insisted, rushing out the door to follow the Ultimate Lifeform.

"I'm with ya Ames. Let's get this party started!" Sonic said with his usual enthusiasm.

The dark surroundings of purple and black hues unnerved Amy as she took small, uncertain steps forward. Black Alien territory without a question. "This place is creepy!" Amy whispered, hugging her trembling form tightly. "I don't like this! Where could Shadow be?"

Said Ultimate Lifeform stood on one of the higher platforms, watching Eggman's ship with curiosity. The last time he saw those ships had been back when he encountered Black Doom on his flying fortress.

"Why would the doctor be here?" he quietly wondered out loud.

"That fool has been a delay in my plans," Black Doom spoke up, hovering closer to Shadow. "I see you came..."

"Well, you told me we'd settle this and I intended to keep my word." He narrowed his eyes in mistrust.

"If you were not so stubborn, you could serve the Black Arms and be spared of the planet's demise. Your impudence ends here." Black Doom held up the final Chaos Emerald, Shadow staring at it in shock. The final Emerald was so close but in that aliens' possession. "The ritual will commence as planned. Give me the six Chaos Emeralds."

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Shadow didn't know what to do. He came all this way only to have this enemy holding the last clue to his past. Fists tightening, he knew deep down the conflict with Black Doom would result in a fight. A fight he was determined to win.

"Shadow!" multiple voices called out at the same time.

"Shadow, you're okay!" Amy exclaimed in relief, hugging him in a tight grip. Her eyes met Black Doom's. Shocked, she released Shadow. "_He's _Black Doom?"

Shadow could only nod, as if he expected her astonished reaction.

"My patience is wearing thin Shadow. Give me the Chaos Emeralds or else," Black Doom hissed in frustration. Amy gasped softly, that voice strangely familiar. Her jaw dropped. That evil voice was the same one she heard aboard the ARK. She couldn't believe it.

"Shadow, don't side with him!" Amy pleaded, holding her hands together. "He's trying to trick you!"

"Foolish girl... You are all ignorant. The Black Arms are here to save the humans from their own demise. We offer salvation," Black Doom started to explain. "Their greed, thirst for power and affinity for betrayal has them on a path of self destruction. Their actions will lead to extinction of their species. We're here to save the humans from themselves with our perfect order, allowing them to live through desperate lives in peace."

"What?" Shadow asked, surprised at the newfound knowledge. Were the Black Arms _really _the enemy? A pang of doubt wouldn't leave his mind alone. _"I won't give up these Emeralds. I can't side with him..."_

The roar of an engine silenced the alien leader, who glanced at the parked ship in a mix of confusion and irritation. The door slowly opened, revealing Eggman, who had his arms crossed and a look of disapproval on his face.

"Do not give the Emeralds to Black Doom, Shadow!" the doctor warned. "He is not to be trusted."

"They're planning to destroy the planet!" added Rouge.

"Don't listen to the creep!" Amy shouted. "He's using you!"

"Then I have no other choice..." Black Doom threatened. Shadow opened his mouth to reply when he found himself unable to move, his mind twisted with horror. He collapsed on his knees, trying to hold himself up with his hands. Amy hurried over to Shadow's side, her face terror ridden.

"Shadow!" He shook his head in protest.

"Don't! Black Doom will hurt you!"

Amy gasped as the six Chaos Emeralds fell from Shadow's possession. "Oh no! The Emeralds!"

Black Doom grinned, all seven of the Emeralds hovering obediently around him. "Let us begin our ritual of prosperity!" He lifted a hand, his mind completely focused and concentrated on how close he was for conquering the planet. It was finally time. "Chaos Control!"

"_This can't be happening..." _

Amy felt the ground rumble beneath her feet and almost cried out when she lost her balance. Finally able to move, Shadow caught her in his arms, not letting go until the quaking slowly came to a stop. "What was that? What just happened?"

"Those Black Creatures just warped the comet down to the surface using Chaos Control!" Sonic answered, equally as shocked as Amy.

Rouge shook her head in disbelief. "No! That's impossible!"

"That's why you need the Chaos Emeralds!" Shadow spoke, Black Doom's motives fully understood. His arms hung weakly at his side, the fact confirmed he had been used the whole time by the sadistic leader.

Black Doom laughed softly, a sinister edge to the evil sound. "Precisely. The comet's velocity isn't powerful enough to pass through another planet's atmosphere. It's the perfect plan to amplify the space time of Chaos Control. That's why I need the professor to help me."

"The professor?" Shadow repeated, stunned.

"Exactly. With his help, my plan was possible," Black Doom replied, continuing his explanation. "He was in development of the Ultimate Lifeform but needed my help. We came to an agreement that I would help him in exchange for the seven Chaos Emeralds. That's why you were created Shadow. You would help us do both..."

"What? Me?" he questioned, his fists tightening at his side. "I can't believe it..."

"That can't be!" Eggman said in disbelief. "He betrayed his own people for research? For Black Doom?"

"I worked with the professor to create you. You would deliver me the seven Chaos Emeralds fifty years later. Yet you were stubborn and that fault would be your greatest weakness. You cannot deny your creator, who gave you life. Who's the fool, Shadow? Me or you?" Black Doom smirked, seeing his creation at a loss for words.

"How can you do that to Shadow?" Amy snapped, suddenly taking the opportunity to cut in. "You used him to get what you want?"

"Amy..." Shadow began, but soon trailed off. "He has a point. I did betray him but I already made my decision. I'm not going to side with him. We agreed to end this and we will."

"We can't just stand here doing nothing!" Sonic pointed out.

"Yeah, let's do this! I'll crush the cosmic rock ball!" Knuckles agreed, raising a fist when his body stopped in motion, freezing him into the same position like a statue.

"Knuckles? What's wrong?" Sonic began when he felt the paralysing effects take its toll on his body too.

"Sonic! Knuckles!" Amy exclaimed with worry. Her heart pounded heavily, finding herself unable to move. "What's happening?"

"A special weapon, this gas, once released is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. In a moment, total paralysis will hit your nervous system. The end is near now." His evil laugh echoed throughout the area. "My dear offspring, eat and devour these savoury dishes." The smaller creatures heeded Black Doom's command and slid over to the panicked Team.

Grinding his teeth in anger, Shadow could only watch what was going on in fury, unable to do anything to help his friends. He closed his eyes, dreading the fact this could be the end. When his eyes crashed shut, a flood memories engulfing his thoughts. Memories of standing with Amy by that hill, the times they spent together at the ARK and that promise that bound it all together. Black eyelids opening, Shadow found the will inside himself to stand up straight, glaring at Black Doom in indescribable anger and newfound strength.

"What?" Black Doom queried.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. My past is behind me. No one can tell me what to do now. I will destroy you Black Doom!" declared the determined Ultimate Lifeform. "For the sake of Maria and my friends..."

"I gave you life and this is how you repay me?" Black Doom flashed a threatening, defiant stare. "The irony of it all is I gave you life and now, I'll take it back!" He hovered further in the depths of the comet, the Emeralds following their newfound 'Master.'

Shadow took a step ahead when Amy called out to him in desperation. "Shadow! Help me!" His red eyes focused on that savage monster that stopped by Amy's side, ready to carry out the orders Black Doom gave out a couple minutes before. He planted his foot down as hard as he could on the creature and pushed it aside with the end of his hoverskate.

"Amy, I will defeat Black Doom. I promised Maria and you I would protect this planet," he vowed.

"Shadow, you can do it," Amy said, faithfully. "Give him a beating for me!"

A half smile met her hopeful words. "I'll do just that," he said before hurrying in Black Doom's direction without any more hesitations.


	10. Final Hour! Creations VS Co Creator

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Ten : Final Hour! Creations VS Co-Creator

_It had all lead up to this... Those nights of wondering alone without a clue of his identity were slowly coming to an end. In time, his questions will be answered and the truth revealed. As Shadow the Hedgehog met the glare of his co creator, he knew what had to be done._

_Black Doom had to be destroyed for good... Even if the alien assisted the Professor to give him life, it didn't change the fact humanity had to pay the price for it. He wouldn't let humanity be destroyed by the Black Aliens._

"_Amy, I will defeat Black Doom. I promised Maria and you I would protect this planet..."_

"I hope Shadow will be okay," Amy said, still frozen in place, a few minutes passing since the ebony hedgehog pursued Black Doom. If she hadn't been paralysed, she would have hit Black Doom with her Piko Piko Hammer for torturing Shadow. The fate of the planet depended on him alone. The rest of the Team could only stand by and do nothing, each with near identical expressions of anger.

"That guy has some nerve keeping us here!" Sonic complained, hating to stay in one place for too long, defined in the course of five minutes.

"I'll crush that coward!" Knuckles growled, his fist still in the air.

"Look on the bright side, Knuckie. At least Eggman can't steal my Emerald." Knuckles glared at Rouge through the corner of his eye.

"_My _Emerald, bat girl!" Knuckles corrected Rouge, who would have shrugged in indifference if the group hadn't been incapable of movement.

"_Shadow, you can do it!" _Amy thought, putting all her faith towards her close friend. If anyone had the fullest potential to defeat Black Doom, it'd be Shadow who grew from being a confused wonderer to an important ally and friend to the Team. Still a little scared of being stuck in one position all the time, she could only put her trust into her dark hero.

Aboard the ARK, the three distinct figures were still at work, hoping their efforts would soon pay off. Of the three, the chameleon was working with the computer, attempting to recover some of the data the three had found not too long ago.

"Espio, are you in yet?" the bumblebee asked again in persistence.

"Quiet Charmy!" the green crocodile replied in annoyance, covering the bee's mouth with his hand. "Espio, we need you to focus 'cuz if we don't hurry, all the data we recovered will be lost!"

"Easier said than done," said chameleon replied under his breath. "Who signed me up for this anyway? Data recovery isn't exactly my specialty."

"Let me try it!" Charmy insisted, his voice muffled by Vector's hand. Finally pulling away from his hand, the determined Chaotix member poised to charge. "That's it. I'll do it. Get out of the way!"

"Get back here, you idiot!" Vector's response came a second too late when the bee charged towards the computer at full speed, shaking the entire room. Soon enough, the data started to recover successfully.

"Hey, it's working!" the three said in unison with relief on their faces. The computer loaded completely, bringing up the data files. Pushing Espio aside, Vector looked through them, quickly finding the one he wanted. The video with Professor Gerald.

_The truth... The real truth..._

"Shadow, my son..."

"What was that?" Amy asked, confused by the unfamiliarity of the voice.

"I thought we heard that voice before," Sonic said, trying to remember.

A hologram slowly came into sight, showing an older man wearing a white lab coat and glasses, resembling Eggman. It all made sense...

"Gerald, my grandfather." Even Eggman seemed a little surprised.

"We saw him before, didn't we?" Amy asked, remembering the day back at the ARK when the colony was on a set collision course for the planet. "But how did he get here?"

"If you are listening to this, then the worst has happened. You need to know the truth. The government plans to shut down this facility. The government plans to cease all of our research and imprison all who know about you. I made a terrible mistake Shadow. It's all my fault, making contact with that comet. Now listen very carefully..." the hologram explained. "In fifty years, the Black Comet will return. They plan to harness its powers to destroy this planet. The only way to stop them was to develop a way to use the very power they intended to use against them. Shadow, it's up to you and only you can stop them. I developed the Eclipse Cannon. It's the only weapon that can destroy that Black Comet. Shadow, you are the only hope to save mankind as we know it. The future of this planet depends on you..."

"Don't worry grandfather," a feminine voice joined in, a smile on her hopeful face. "Shadow and I will protect this planet. Right, Shadow?"

Amy's eyes widened at the sight of the young girl. The same one she saw in that old photograph on the ARK. _"She really was Maria..."_ That innocent and optimistic attitude she carried was almost as she imagined Maria to be when she found the picture in Shadow's room.

The holograms slowly faded, the area left in silence once again. Without the voices, the Black Comet felt so haunted again and Amy didn't like it one bit. _"I hope you're okay Shadow!" _If Shadow ever got hurt fighting Black Doom, Amy wouldn't know what to do with herself. All those moments she spent together with the mysterious Ultimate Lifeform only allowed her bond to grow even further. His life and the planet were both at risk... Only now did she realize how silly it was to chase Sonic around when he wasn't interested in a relationship. She dreaded the possibility of losing Shadow forever, even if he was fighting for everyone.

A light exclaim of surprise escaped her mouth, seeing Shadow passing by the group in his Super form, following Black Doom who had now transformed into a larger, gruesome monster. Amy's gleaming, hopeful eyes transfixed on Shadow's determined ruby red ones.

"Shadow!" she called from below. Even though he was hovering so high in space, his head turned to see the group, surprised to hear them all cheering him on.

"_I must keep my promise..." _was all that mattered to him as he peered over his shoulder once last time. Now understanding what his promise truly was, no more confusion dwelled in his heart to hold him back from acting on his vow to his dearest friends. _"Soon enough Maria, Amy..."_

Fear and anticipation intermixed together into one strong and complicated emotion as Shadow and his co creator appeared the size of a dot in the red clouded skies. Amy couldn't stand not being to move by her own free will and tried to struggle against it, only tiring herself out in her numerous attempts.

"Ames, calm down," Sonic told Amy, who had a death glare on her face as each attempt to move failed. "I don't like this anymore than you do but we gotta believe in Shadow."

Knowing Sonic was right, Amy tried her best to settle down, anger turning into desperation. "I know Sonic but I don't want Shadow to get hurt. It's not fair he has to do this alone!"

"I know that but I think Shadow and Black Doom were meant to fight each other. Ya believe in him, don'cha?" he questioned, earning a timid smile from Amy.

"Yeah... I do," she replied, picturing the two of them together on the ARK, staring at the countless ocean of stars and the assurance he truly desired to fulfill his wish to make everyone happy.

Minutes passed by when Amy suddenly was aware of the cold, tingling sensation that spread from her body. She gasped in delight when her body gave out from the same position it retained for the last half an hour. Her joy was mutual among the others, even Eggman.

"Am I ever glad that's over," Sonic spoke up, grinning. Eager to run again, he occupied the next minute racing around the area as much as he possibly could. Getting the pent up energy out of his system, Sonic came to a stop in front of the Team. "So, what's the plan?"

Tails steered the ship from the Black Comet to the Space Colony ARK, barely managing to get out of the danger zone without any damage done. Shadow's Super form was easily identifiable, the hues as bright as a shining star. Amy kept to herself, sitting closest to the windshield, mostly due to keep a close watch on Shadow. Her worry from earlier felt silly now. True, it was an instinct of compassion but she knew now he could stand his own ground, even against the most hopeless of circumstances. Worried eyes transformed into a longing stare of admiration.

The ship parked without delay and soon the group met in the main room, watching the battle from above. Amy turned around when she heard a couple pairs of unfamiliar footsteps echo down the hallway. "Wh-Wait! It's you three!" she shouted out in revelation.

"Amy? What a coincidence meeting ya here!" Vector said, rubbing the back of his head, not expecting anyone else to be aboard the ARK.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "What were you guys doing?"

"We were recovering data from the files here on the Space Colony's computer. The data a while to retrieve but after some 'fixing,' we got it to work," Espio explained.

"I fixed it!" Charmy said, quite proud of himself.

"Fixing, defined as nearly destroying the computer," Espio pointed out.

"But Espio, I got it to work!" Charmy continued.

"Those voices we heard on that comet, was that you?" Amy said, inwardly grateful to the Chaotix now. "We heard the professor talk about the truth and after that, we saw Shadow fighting Black Doom. Thanks!"

Surprised, Vector laughed a little. "Glad we could help!"

"So, it was you guys that helped us earlier?" Sonic asked, having overhead most of the conversation.

"I fixed the computer! It was me!" Sonic gave a thumbs up to a satisfied Charmy, who flew in circles in delight.

Not sure of how to pass the time, Amy paced down the empty halls, unable to keep her mind off the final battle occurring outside. She stopped abruptly when she saw a bright blur pass by in the hallway. She blinked a couple times, left wondering if her imagination was teasing her again. Her doubts vanished when she felt the Space Colony shake, Amy holding onto the nearest doorframe to prevent herself from falling. Her heart beat with excitement when it struck her the Eclipse Cannon was preparing to fire. She hurried down the hallway, careful to keep her balance. Peeking out the window, her jaw dropped in surprise to see the Black Comet hovering in space before shattering to several pieces, each flying in separate directions. She shut her eyes tightly, the shaking continuing to persist throughout the When all became still, she exhaled a sigh of relief, still in shock at the thought of all the worry being over; this time, for good.

All the broken pieces of the Black Comet became lost in the horizon, their race no longer able to torture to the prosperity of the planet. Amy smiled, leaning against the windshield, proud of Shadow in every imaginable way. The promise was kept and the planet would live in peace once more. Humanity could continue to live on for their dreams... Humanity no longer had to live in fear of being mercilessly slaughtered by the Black Arms and live through the treatment of being a 'foolish' race without value. At times, their race could be selfish but if they never gave up on their wishes, they had good hearts deep down.

That was what Amy had told Shadow a while ago before he saved the world for the first time.

But now, he wasn't just her hero. He was a hero for humanity.

"_Thank you Shadow..."_


	11. A Tragic Past Left Behind

This is finally the end of the story. I hope you've all enjoyed it and I will try to do even better for my next ShadAmy stories. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Shadow the Hedgehog, the game or any of the characters. They belong to SEGA.

* * *

**A Hero's Promise**

Chapter Eleven : A Tragic Past Left Behind

The once quiet main room had burst to life with mutually shared enthusiasm, a smile on everyone's faces.

"Yeah, he did it! The Black Comet is destroyed!"

Sonic completely agreed with Tails, impressed himself. "Shadow, that was sweet!"

"I hope he's okay," Rouge said, with concern.

Amy held her hands together, staring out the window with an optimistic smile on her face. "I'm sure he's fine Rouge. After all, he _is _Shadow!"

"How about giving me back those Chaos Emeralds now?" Eggman cut in, interrupting the moment. Against the idea, Knuckles pursued Eggman who did his best to stay clear of the angry echidna.

"Hey! Get back here you creep!" he growled unremittingly. Laughs resonated throughout the metal walls as Knuckles continued to chase after a retreating Eggman.

Amy, who had been enjoying the moment, saw a familiar hedgehog turn around the distant hallway corner. She hurried after him, the others too occupied in the upbeat atmosphere to notice her quietly slip out of the room. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her hopeful eyes spotting the Ultimate Lifeform in the darkness, which soon vanished, the moonlight shining through the window of that same empty room that brought them together a couple of times before.

Arms folded tightly across his chest, he stared out at the planet below, the silver glow of the moonlight stunning against his contrasting black fur. Amy took small timid steps forward before throwing the hesitation aside and hugging Shadow tightly. Taken by surprise, his stability was momentarily lost, his body inclining forward before he recognized the warmth of the gesture. Regaining his steady poise, he turned to smile at Amy, who returned it with a delighted beam.

"Shadow, you did it!" She didn't want to let go of the heroic hedgehog, her arms holding him closer.

"I said I'd keep my promise," he reminded Amy, who rested her head against his shoulder. As Amy got into a comfortable position, she felt the picture fall to the ground. Tempted, she was about to reach and out and take it back but Shadow already had the photo in his hand. A thoughtful expression took place of the smile as he stared at the picture for a long moment. Amy decided to break the eerie silence.

"Shadow, I'm sorry. I found it in your room and-" Amy stopped speaking in mid-sentence when all the worry washed away from his face, his eyes looking away from the picture.

"I left the past behind me. Maria was my friend but...I've found someone else." _A very good friend._

"Someone else?" Amy repeated, tempted to rest on Shadow's shoulder again but decided against it, trying to give him space.

He could only nod in response, before he took Amy's hand, the other holding the picture, now pushed aside from his attention. Getting the hint, Amy's smile grew wider, eyes shining with happiness. Taking the gesture as a safe sign, she leaned against his shoulder again, enjoying every moment Shadow let her to be close to him.

"Hey, you two. Ready to go?" Sonic asked, standing in the door. Amy pulled away from Shadow and nodded, trying to fight back a blush. Without a word, the three made their way to the ship where the rest of the Team was waiting for them, except for Eggman who had left long ago on his own ship, most likely to plot another of his usual schemes.

Shadow took one last look at the smiling faces of Maria and him together in the old picture, a moment captured in time fifty years ago. He tore his gaze away, whispering, "Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog." Feeling a new sense of resolution, he gently tossed the picture over his shoulder, walking aboard the ship with his friends. With the past put behind him for good, he could look towards his future rather than be trapped in the past. Sonic gave him a thumbs up when their gazes locked for a moment as though in a rare sense of mutual respect.

With no idea what the future held in store for him, all Shadow could do was wait. Only time would tell his fate.

* * *

"_We interrupt this program to bring you the latest update regarding the return of the Black Comet. Not too long, it came here and wrecked havoc on the city. When we thought all was lost, Shadow came to the rescue and saved us all. Since the Black Comet had been destroyed, we haven't heard any news of the aliens that attacked the city a couple of weeks ago. What's next for our new hero? Stay tuned for the next update."_

The Team decided to pay a visit to Amy's house, the group gathered around her television. Two days passed since the planet had been saved and the Black Comet, destroyed beyond repair. Most of the city was under reconstruction, roads and parts of houses destroyed when the comet planted itself to the ground. The city made much progress in the first couple of days, the people filled with hope. Shadow's promise was kept and humanity were grateful for his heroic actions.

Shadow didn't want that attention. The happiness he felt knowing he saved the planet for the sake of Amy and Maria was all he needed. Beside him on the couch was Amy, who seemed content to be sitting next to him. Sonic with a knowing grin on his face, was satisfied standing by the door and watching the television from there. Knuckles and Rouge were having their usual argument while Cream was watching the news in wonder with Amy explaining what happened during their trip to space.

"Mr. Shadow really is a hero!" she exclaimed with a joyful smile on her innocent face. Shadow frowned and continued to stare at the screen. Amy nudged him on the shoulder.

"Shadow, cheer up! You saved the planet. You should be happy!" she said with enthusiasm.

"I am happy..." he said in a lower volume directed at only Amy. "But this attention, I don't want it. I just wanted to be left alone but the humans think I'm some kind of hero."

"But you are! The people say you're a hero because you saved them from Black Doom! If anyone should be happy, it's you!" Amy insisted, giving Shadow's hand a gentle squeeze, the Ultimate Lifeform allowing those gestures but only with her.

A couple of knocks rang out on the door, Sonic answering it in a flash. Much to his surprise, he was face to face with one of the President's assistants. "Hey, what's up?"

"Mr. Sonic, is Shadow there?" Sonic turned to see said hedgehog's eyes stare directly back. He nodded.

"You bet! He's over there!" Sonic replied, pointing to his dark look alike.

"Thank you," the assistant said, allowing himself to come in. "Shadow, the President is very grateful for you heroism and wants to invite you and your friends to his party he's holding tonight. The party starts at eight in the President's office. Do you think you can go?"

Before Shadow had a chance to even open his mouth, Sonic beat him to it. "Of course he'd want to go! Wouldn't even think of missing it." He grinned at Shadow who gave him a blank stare.

"Very well then. I shall tell the President you will be going. I'll see all of you there then." As soon as the door closed, Sonic had already grabbed the remote and turned off the television.

"No use standing around here doing nothing! We better get ready to party! Right Shadow?" Sonic asked, resting an elbow on his rival's shoulder. "Don't be such a party pooper!"

"Hmph." Shadow pulled away from the cheerful, blue hero and went out of the open door, waiting for Amy who skipped over to his side and linked arms with him. Sonic chuckled in amusement, his grin fading when Shadow sent a death glare over his shoulder.

"Watch it, faker," Shadow threatened, narrowing his red eyes. Getting the hint, Sonic decided to play it safe and stuck with Tails and Cream, trying hard not to laugh all over again.

Knuckles and Rouge left a while ago, the bat needing to be there early due to being an agent working with the government. She made arrangements beforehand, not resisting to drag the 'knucklehead,' along with her, assuring the echidna her Master Emerald would be safe. After some threats and whatnot, the two finally came to an agreement, Knuckles warning Rouge that if the Master Emerald was gone, she was going to be in trouble.

The clock struck eight, the group already ushered inside the White House with a warm welcome. Shadow, not sure of what to do, followed Amy. He never attended a party before, the experience quite new to him. Amy wore a cherry red party dress and shoes to match. Her headband was replaced with a shiny, ivory ribbon.

"You look beautiful," Shadow had told Amy, who lightly blushed at the compliment, which Shadow rarely ever gave out. It made her feel special. A feeling that was new to her.

"Shadow, I'm glad to see you're here. We've been waiting for you," the President greeted the Ultimate Lifeform.

"What did you want to speak to me about?" he asked, a little uncertain of himself, never have spoken with the humans very often, let alone GUN, who took everything he loved away fifty years ago. But since he put his past behind him, attending the party was the first step for change.

"You heard from my assistant we were very grateful for your help earlier. We wanted to thank you for fighting for our planet. We had thought the professor made a mistake to create you but we should be apologizing to you for the way we treated you before. We were all wrong about the professor and you, Shadow. As our way of saying thanks, we would like to make an offer."

"An...offer?" Shadow questioned.

"We'd like to offer you a position as a GUN agent. Accommodations will be provided and you will be rewarded for your efforts. From seeing your bravery earlier, we have no doubts about you, Shadow." He noticed the stunned expression on Shadow's face. "You don't have to decide right away. Think about it for a while and you can give us your answer when you feel you are ready. Enjoy the party all of you. Let us know if you need anything." The President stood from his seat, the GUN Commander following behind to greet the other guests who had arrived.

Sonic, who was impressed by the offer, spoke up. "Shads, what do you think? You gonna take the offer?"

"I know they mean well, but I just need some time," Shadow replied.

Nodding in understanding, Sonic reverted back to his happy go lucky attitude. "Until then, let's party!"

Gentle music rang out from the speakers, several people dancing in pairs or helping themselves to the table of refreshments. Shadow could only take so much cheerfulness for so long. Needing some quiet to think the offer over, he stepped out of the office onto the balcony, folding his arms on the railing, deep in thought.

Amy, who noticed Shadow's absence, asked anyone else if they saw where Shadow went. Eventually, someone lead her to the balcony. "Thank you!" she said, opening the door and hurrying over to Shadow's side. He allowed her to hold his hand and lean against his shoulder at the same time, the two standing close together under the moonlight. "Why are you out here Shadow?"

"I...was thinking about the offer," he said, almost in a strained voice. "I know GUN has changed but I'm not sure about working with them..."

"Maria wanted everyone to be happy, right? I think they would be happy if you said you'd help them," Amy replied.

"Hmmm." For the first time that night, a smile broke through his collected, neutral expression. "You could be right. My past is behind me now. You are right about Maria. She did want the humans to be happy... If working with GUN means keeping my promise to her, then I'll consider it. For you too, Amy," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he spoke her name. "Thank you."

Amy was almost bursting with joy at those words. Shadow rarely thanked anyone and was usually stuck to his opinions but he was listening to her tonight.

"I'll keep my promise, no matter what. I swear it." He held her a little closer to him, their foreheads finally touching. Under the moonlight, the two remained together, looking ahead for the future, the past now a memory.

Maria wanted happiness for everyone. And that was exactly what would happen. For the future. For his friends.

For Amy Rose.


End file.
